nomination
Americannoun
-
an act or instance of nominating, especially to office.
The floor is open for nomination of candidates for the presidency.
-
the state of being nominated.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nomination
1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin nōminātiōn- (stem of nōminātiō ) a naming, nomination. See nominate, -ion
Explanation
The first step in the process of electing a candidate for office or giving someone an award is nomination. When someone is officially recommended as a contender, that's their nomination. Your nomination for Best Animated Film in a film festival means that you're one of the directors who will be up for the award. A nomination is a huge honor in itself, because it means you've been chosen to be on a short list of possible winners. During presidential elections, major party nominations are usually made after a primary election — the party's nomination is its official endorsement of a candidate. The Latin root, nominationem, means "a naming."
Vocabulary lists containing nomination
Election Lingo
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Academy Awards, List 1
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Citizenship (Civics) - Middle School
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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.
Three years later she gladly accepted her nomination as rear commodore.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
Drawing more than one nomination in a year has been the norm for Bateman.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
It was a measure of revenge for Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who was defeated by Talarico for the Democratic Senate nomination in March.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
“This message resonated with grassroots blacks. Polls consistently revealed that the majority of the black populace supported Thomas’s nomination and that the lower the income level, the greater the support.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
During the almost five months between his nomination and the election, Garfield gave dozens of speeches to his visitors.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
