secret ballot
AmericanEtymology
Origin of secret ballot
First recorded in 1910–15
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.
The decision on whether to relieve Khan of his duties is now subject to a secret ballot by the 125 countries party to the International Criminal Court during a closed-door session.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
Taylor, from the party's conservative faction, won the secret ballot, 34 votes to 17.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026
In a sign of the pressures around the issue, the proposal was voted on by secret ballot, a relatively uncommon procedure at the gathering, with nearly 75 percent of votes against.
From Barron's ● Nov. 27, 2025
Under the old rules, farmworkers voted on union representation by secret ballot at a polling site designated by the state labor board, typically on employer property.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2025
There they will choose a leader for themselves by secret ballot in a free election.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
