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

Example Sentences

The electorate may be starting to react against that.

From Barron's

“Broader electorates require democracy narratives grounded in pocketbook realities.”

From Salon

“There’s a conversation on both sides at the elite level about electability and about the general election. And then there’s what’s actually going on in the primary electorate,” Blank said.

From Salon

"The reason it's important on the Democratic side is that usually slightly over half of the electorate in the South Carolina Democratic primary is African American," he said.

From Barron's

Rob Jetten won over the Dutch electorate with promises of optimism and progress, but he will have his work cut out translating words into actions leading a minority government.

From Barron's

Related Words

• constituency
• voter