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Synonyms

electorate

American  
[ih-lek-ter-it] / ɪˈlɛk tər ɪt /

noun

  1. the body of persons entitled to vote in an election.

  2. the dignity or territory of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.

electorate British  
/ ɪˈlɛktərɪt /

noun

  1. the body of all qualified voters

  2. the rank, position, or territory of an elector of the Holy Roman Empire

  3. the area represented by a Member of Parliament

  4. the voters in a constituency

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of electorate

First recorded in 1665–75; elector + -ate 3

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.

In politics it is particularly important to demonstrate publicly as a group when the electorate feels their representatives aren’t listening to them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Facing a popular Labor incumbent and a young, recently selected opposition leader, One Nation campaigned widely, recruiting prominent former Liberal senator Cory Bernardi to lead its ticket, and running candidates in every electorate.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The electorate may be starting to react against that.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Without the runoff rematch between Herrera and Gonzales, we won’t learn whether there are limits to how much internet edginess an electorate can handle.

From Slate • Mar. 9, 2026

Dukakis will boast that two- thirds of the electorate prefer him to Gore, whereupon Jackson will respond that two-thirds of the electorate prefer him to Dukakis.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

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.