hustings

American  

[huhs-tingz] / ˈhʌs tɪŋz /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. (before 1872) the temporary platform on which candidates for the British Parliament stood when nominated and from which they addressed the electors.

2. any place from which political campaign speeches are made.

3. the political campaign trail.

4. Also called hustings court.  a local court in certain parts of Virginia.

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hustings British  

/ ˈhʌstɪŋz /

noun

1. (before 1872) the platform on which candidates were nominated for Parliament and from which they addressed the electors

2. the proceedings at a parliamentary election

3. political campaigning

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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

Marshall spoke openly about the topic for the first time while addressing sixth form students at a recent school hustings event in Ysgol Plasmawr, Cardiff.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 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

Rival deputy leadership candidates Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell went head-to-head in a hustings at the very end of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2025

At a general election hustings in June, Pallavi Devulapalli said she had "yet to meet anyone" who denied a person’s right to "dress" and "be addressed as they please".

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024

The country began to fill with roving candidates, hawking their protestations of Republicanism from hustings to hustings.

From The Recollections of Alexis de Tocqueville by Tocqueville, Alexis de