electorate

American  

[ih-lek-ter-it] / ɪˈlɛk tər ɪt /

noun

1. the body of persons entitled to vote in an election.

2. the dignity or territory of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.

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electorate British  

/ ɪˈlɛktərɪt /

noun

1. the body of all qualified voters

2. the rank, position, or territory of an elector of the Holy Roman Empire

3. the area represented by a Member of Parliament

4. the voters in a constituency

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Etymology

Origin of electorate

First recorded in 1665–75; elector + -ate ³

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.

Example Sentences

But of the biggest, highest priority projects DC should be taking on, you should tell the electorate, “Here’s what we’re going to get done over the next two years.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

"Our immediate priority is to enable members of the electorate affected by the issue with the supplementary voter pack print run to exercise their democratic right."

From BBC • May 6, 2026

Campaigns that use “red-boxing” will post on their websites information supposedly aimed at voters, but the messages are often in language that is not typically used to communicate with the electorate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

There were dozens of caucus rooms across Detroit’s Huntington Place—rural, women, Black, educators, LGBT—each with its own electorate and set expectations.

From Slate • Apr. 29, 2026

“On the day the electorate, as expected in polls, was voting in unprecedented numbers against bombing North Vietnam or otherwise escalating the war, we were working to set such a policy in motion,” Ellsberg recalled.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• constituency
• voter