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

Italy's Giorgia Meloni coalition government has lost a crucial vote on an amendment to electoral reform - a significant setback ahead of next year's general election.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

The campaign is in recovery mode before the general election in November, which he is heavily favored to win.

From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026

Though the committee initially sought to meet the July 1 deadline to get the measure on the November ballot, they shifted their goal to the 2027 general election to ensure they could gain enough momentum.

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Many MPs feel he is the party's best chance of clawing back support from Nigel Farage's anti-immigrant Reform UK party before the next general election, expected in 2029.

From Barron's ● Jul. 9, 2026

As a whole, the general election had been less grueling than the pitched battle of the primaries.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama