electorate
Americannoun
-
the body of persons entitled to vote in an election.
-
the dignity or territory of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.
noun
-
the body of all qualified voters
-
the rank, position, or territory of an elector of the Holy Roman Empire
-
the area represented by a Member of Parliament
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Nothing But the Truth
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“Voters will certainly be confused about the shifting district lines in two elections so close together in time,” Kim Nalder, director of the Project for an Informed Electorate at Sacramento State, said in an email.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 23, 2026
During times of crisis — and California these days has crises to spare — we respond one of two ways, said Kim Nalder, director of the Project for an Informed Electorate at Sacramento State University.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 11, 2021
The Electorate seems to split 45/45 for Democrat/Republican.
From New York Times • May 24, 2016
For years, journalists relied on the analyses he produced as founder and director of the Washington-based Center for the Study of the American Electorate.
From Washington Post • Mar. 16, 2015
His first Care, when he came to the Electorate, was to provide himself with Ministers, whose Candor and Sincerity were above Envy it self.
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.
