candidacy
Americannoun
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:
However, as Flavio Bolsonaro officially launched his candidacy on Saturday, a deepfake video of his father was screened at the Liberal Party convention.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
But they aren’t extolling the candidacy of former military helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett, who is running to unseat a GOP congressman in New Jersey, or of retired Vice Adm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Similarly, the group Our Revolution, which was founded as a way to carry forward the grassroots organizing behind Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, has thrown its organizing capacity behind Jackson’s candidacy.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
The press release announcing his candidacy was written by one “Amber Lee.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Barack had to quickly hire staff, woo the types of donors who could write big checks, and figure out how to introduce his candidacy in the most resonant way possible.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Three Republicans have declared their candidacies, but that party’s convention isn’t until April.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2026
Those delegates went on to back reforms to the party's primary process that made it easier for insurgent candidacies like Jackson to compete for the party's presidential nomination without backing from the Democratic establishment.
From BBC ● Feb. 17, 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
It was said that in one of his early candidacies he replied to an elector, who had asked him on what he intended to stand, in the sententious phrase "on my head!"
From Ten Englishmen of the Nineteenth Century by Joy, James Richard
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.
