electorate

[ih-lek-ter-it]

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.

electorate

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of electorate¹

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

Example Sentences

At best, the White House press corps acts as stenographers, taking down what the administration spits out and regurgitating it for an increasingly misinformed electorate.

Read more on Salon

Catholic bishops said they hoped the official result would reflect the will of the electorate, and "nothing will be changed by any authority involved in this exercise".

Read more on BBC

Next May, the entire Welsh electorate could deliver the same verdict.

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Amy Thoma, a spokesperson for the two other major groups opposing the proposition, said the data show that the voters who have returned ballots so far are not representative of the California electorate.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

According to Kahn, Petro wants to use the spat to influence a presidential primary in his Historic Pact party this Sunday and push the electorate to the left.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• constituency 
• voter