general election

American  

noun

1. U.S. Politics.

   1. a regularly scheduled local, state, or national election in which voters elect officeholders.

   2. a state or national election, as opposed to a local election.

2. British. an election, which must be held at any time within five years of the last election, in which constituents elect members of the House of Commons.

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general election British  

noun

1. an election in which representatives are chosen in all constituencies of a state

2. a final election from which successful candidates are sent to a legislative body Compare primary

3. (in the US) a national or state election or (in Canada) a federal or provincial election in contrast to a local election

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Etymology

Origin of general election

An Americanism dating back to 1710–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

general election

The party's leadership characterise the last two years since the general election as "stage one" when a largely new intake of MPs bedded into their constituencies.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

LMU’s Guerra said that he believed Pratt voters would be conflicted, and that many Pratt voters may simply choose to sit out the general election.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

British-born businessmen Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne said they each gave £36 million, equivalent to $48.7 million, to Reform UK to help professionalize the upstart party ahead of the next general election expected by 2029.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

Stephen Fowler for NPR: The 2026 midterm general election season is upon us.

From Slate ● Sep. 10, 2026

In the white general election of May 1987, the Nationalists won an overwhelming majority.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela