nominee

American  

[nom-uh-nee] / ˌnɒm əˈni /

noun

• nominees
  plural

1. a person nominated, as to run for elective office or fill a particular post.

2. a person in whose name title to real estate or ownership of stock is held but who is not the actual proprietor or holder.

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nominee British  

/ ˌnɒmɪˈniː /

noun

1. a person who is nominated to an office or as a candidate

2. 1. a person or organization named to act on behalf of someone else, esp to conceal the identity of the nominator

   2. ( as modifier )

      nominee shareholder

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nominees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nominee

First recorded in 1655–65; nomin(ate) + -ee

Explanation

A nominee is someone running for office. You could be a nominee for student council or for the presidency. To nominate is to name or select someone as a candidate for office. In the United States, the primary elections help each party figure out who to nominate to run for office. That candidate is called the nominee. Once a nominee is selected, he or she runs against the sitting president. There are nominees at every level of government. Being a nominee is quite an honor, but it's not the ultimate goal: a nominee could still win or lose the election.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nominee nominees

In 1991, NPR’s Nina Totenberg broke the story of Anita Hill’s allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, drawing the ire of the right.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

And during Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch’s 2017 confirmation hearings, some media outlets claimed that President Donald Trump’s nominee had plagiarized parts of his 2006 book about assisted suicide.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

Double nominee here, “Widow’s Bay” and “The Beast in Me.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

In Moss’ conversation with Slate only a few days after his early August primary victory, it was clear the Michigan Democrat wanted to support the Democratic nominee for Senate, but he just wasn’t there yet.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

With the election just weeks away, Senator Kennedy, the Democratic nominee for president, warned that America was losing the Cold War.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

The nominees were chosen in a public vote from an initial longlist that also included stars like David Tennant, Gary Oldman, Idris Elba, James Norton and Tom Hiddleston.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

The club’s six membership committee members determine the nominees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

“The Pitt” leads this year’s Emmy nominees with 25 nominations overall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

It’s rare that candidates are nominated through conventions, which are often opportunities for endless speeches—much like the quadrennial political conventions that national parties hold to ratify their nominees.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Each of the other nominees addressed the delegates.

From From Crow-Scaring to Westminster; an Autobiography by George Edwards M.P. O.B.E.

Related Words

• applicant
• appointee
• aspirant
• contender
• contestant