popular vote
Americannoun
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the vote for a U.S. presidential candidate made by the qualified voters, as opposed to that made by the Electoral College.
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the vote for a candidate, issue, etc., made by the qualified voters, as opposed to a vote made by elected representatives.
Etymology
Origin of popular vote
An Americanism dating back to 1830–40
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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.
President George W. Bush had won reelection with not just a plurality, but a majority of the popular vote.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
They could reject the initiatives, sending them straight to the November 2026 ballot for a popular vote.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
But supporters of Poilievre credit him with delivering historic gains for the party, which received a record 41% of the popular vote last year.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
In the Buenos Aires election, the leading Peronist party, the Justicialists, won 47% of the popular vote.
From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025
“So basically,” Scrap says, “you won the popular vote ’cause everybody loved you in the Ring, but you still lost the election since he the one getting fame?”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
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.
