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Synonyms

nominee

American  
[nom-uh-nee] / ˌnɒm əˈni /

noun

  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.


nominee British  
/ ˌnɒmɪˈniː /

noun

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

    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

"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 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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing nominee

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.

As for how much annual spending would be considered "enough" for the Trump administration, Matthew Whitaker, Trump Nominee for U.S.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2025

Earlier this week, Vice President Nominee JD Vance announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he wants the United States to “conquer the stars.”

From Salon • Oct. 19, 2024

Nominee Michael Whitaker, a former deputy FAA administrator, told the Senate Commerce Committee he would support opening a second air traffic controller academy to address staffing.

From Reuters • Oct. 4, 2023

Nominee Regina King remained outside the ballroom for a while, avoiding the crush.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2019

The boats of the new company were the War Eagle, Galena, Dr. Franklin, Nominee, and the West Newton.

From Fifty Years In The Northwest With An Introduction And Appendix Containing Reminiscences, Incidents And Notes by Folsom, William Henry Carman