running mate

American

noun

a candidate for an office linked with another and more important office, as for the vice-presidency.
a horse entered in a race in which another, more important, horse from the same stable, or belonging to the same owner, is run.
a close companion.

running mate British

noun

a candidate for the subordinate of two linked positions, esp a candidate for the vice-presidency
a horse that pairs another in a team

"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 running mate

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

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.

Running mate Jaylen Brown went just 1 for 4 in the fourth quarter Monday with both stars playing more than 44 minutes.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2022

Running mate selections always generate a certain amount of chaos on Capitol Hill in August.

From Fox News • Aug. 4, 2020

Running mate Tim Kaine, husband and former President Bill Clinton, daughter Chelsea Clinton and her opponent-turned-surrogate Bernie Sanders all have been in the state too.

From Time • Oct. 3, 2016

Running mate: The presidential nominee's candidate for the vice-presidency.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2016

Running mate Gov. Mike Pence also appears at the values summit Saturday, this following an appearance Thursday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

From Washington Times • Sep. 8, 2016

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023