candidacy
Americannoun
-
candidacies
plural
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of candidacy
Explanation
Candidacy is the campaign journey someone undertakes to be elected to a position, like running for class president or trying out for a spot on the student council. If you were to officially declare that you were running for president or any other elected position, that is the start of your candidacy. This involves promoting your ideas, convincing others to vote for you, and participating in debates or discussions. Candidacy is a vital part of democratic processes, allowing people to present their qualifications and vision. Whether in school elections or national politics, candidacy is about showing why you’re the best person for the job.
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.
See Examples For:
He appears to sincerely dislike the idea that his candidacy should be a story about his identity at all.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
When the country's new president Abelardo de la Espriella took office August 7, the news was celebrated by US President Donald Trump, who backed the flamboyant right-winger's candidacy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
“The motive became clear on Feb. 17, 2025, when Bianco announced his candidacy for Governor of California,” his lawsuit read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
He has struggled to unite the center-right, with the powerful União Progressista alliance opting for neutrality rather than endorsing his candidacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
When the priest finally declared his candidacy for president, Farmer wrote in a journal, “Perhaps this is a singular chance to change Haiti.”
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
They present their candidacies as opportunities to implement working-class-focused policies that would reduce government control and return power to ordinary residents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
His rapid ascension is proof that in an era of intense load management, increasingly specialized bullpens and near-ubiquitious arm injuries, a massive shift is underway in how voters evaluate pitchers’ candidacies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026
Finance ministers from the 20 countries sharing the single currency had until Friday to submit their candidacies for the job.
From Barron's ● Nov. 28, 2025
Multiple opposition figures, including 2018 runner-up Maurice Kamto, as well as Joshua Osih, Akere Muna, and Cabral Libii, have also announced their candidacies.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2025
It seemed hardly more than one of the "favorite son" candidacies which every canvass knows in plenty.
From The Negro and the Nation A History of American Slavery and Enfranchisement by George Spring Merriam
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.
