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

An Emerson College poll on Thursday found Talarico slightly lagging among Black voters compared to Texas Democrats’ nominee for governor.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

A standout for decades in a breathtaking array of roles, comedy lead actor nominee Martin Short is the kind of all-around entertainer they don’t make anymore.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Gov. Peggy Flanagan became the party’s Senate nominee, also in Minnesota.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

A three-time Emmy nominee for supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on “Shrinking,” she’s made an art of it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 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

We spoke to the creatives behind six of the nominees to find out how they did it.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Diana later withdrew all but two of its board nominees, and Genco shareholders voted against those candidates at a shareholder meeting in June, Genco has said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 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

The majority of Democratic nominees in competitive Senate races this year are men.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

Practically the ordinary work of the council is carried on by a sub-committee consisting of the nine nominees of the president and six others designated for this purpose by the minister.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 "Echinoderma" to "Edward" by Various

Related Words

• applicant
• appointee
• aspirant
• contender
• contestant