hustings
Americannoun
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(before 1872) the temporary platform on which candidates for the British Parliament stood when nominated and from which they addressed the electors.
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any place from which political campaign speeches are made.
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the political campaign trail.
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Also called hustings court. a local court in certain parts of Virginia.
noun
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(before 1872) the platform on which candidates were nominated for Parliament and from which they addressed the electors
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the proceedings at a parliamentary election
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political campaigning
Etymology
Origin of hustings
before 1050; Middle English, Old English < Old Danish hūs-thing house meeting. See house, thing 2
Explanation
Any activities connected with a political campaign or election — speeches, debates, and so on — can be called hustings. Presidential candidates often spend more than a year on the hustings. In the US, hustings are typically called "stumping" or "being on the stump." Hustings is more likely to be used in the UK and Canada to describe campaigning. An event at which candidates address voters or debate each other can be called hustings, and you can also say that a candidate is "on the hustings." The word comes from an Old Norse word, husðing, "council," from the roots hus, or "house," and ðing, "assembly."
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.
On 13 July, candidates will take part in a parliamentary hustings where they can answer questions from fellow Labour MPs.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Burnham was reported to have told a hustings event during the campaign he would "stick by the Waspi women because they deserve some recompense for the unfairness".
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026
At a hustings event held by Birmingham Live, there were seven candidates or spokespeople, but there could have been more.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Divorced for 14 years, I’ve been out on the hustings, both on the street and, at my younger brother’s behest, online.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2025
They figure in the budget, and are formidable on the hustings.
From Barrington Volume II (of II) by Charles James Lever
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.
