electorate
Americannoun
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the body of persons entitled to vote in an election.
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the dignity or territory of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.
noun
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the body of all qualified voters
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the rank, position, or territory of an elector of the Holy Roman Empire
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the area represented by a Member of Parliament
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the voters in a constituency
Etymology
Origin of electorate
Explanation
An electorate is a body of people allowed to vote in an election. In the United States, when you turn eighteen, you may join the electorate and help choose a president. The word electorate is especially important for those people who are not a part of it. For instance, women in the United States were not part of the electorate until they were allowed to vote in 1920. Being a part of the electorate is important because it gives you a chance to elect — or choose — who you want to represent you in your government.
Vocabulary lists containing electorate
Star-Spangled Vocabulary: Patriotic Words
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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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Nothing But the Truth
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
More than 50% of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina is Black.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Both political camps have been protesting ahead of the negotiations, which according to the US State Department, will focus on rebuilding democratic institutions, strengthening the electorate and guaranteeing political participation.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
John “Jak” Raymond, a delegate candidate in Hancock County, also underlined how the county delegate electorate differs from the primary electorate.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
And yet again, an impatient, expectant electorate looks on.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
Dukakis will boast that two- thirds of the electorate prefer him to Gore, whereupon Jackson will respond that two-thirds of the electorate prefer him to Dukakis.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
