elect
verb (used with object)
to choose or select by vote, as for an office.
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to elect.
elect
1 American
[ih-lekt]
/ ɪˈlɛkt /
verb (used with object)
-
elects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
elected,
past participle, past
-
electing
present participle
-
to choose or select by vote, as for an office.
to elect a mayor.
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to determine in favor of (a method, course of action, etc.).
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to pick out; choose.
First-year students may elect French, Spanish, or German.
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Theology. (of God) to select for divine mercy or favor, especially for salvation.
verb (used without object)
-
elects,
present (3rd person singular)
-
elected,
past participle, past
-
electing
present participle
adjective
-
selected, as for an office, but not yet inducted (usually used in combination following a noun).
the governor-elect.
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select or choice.
an elect circle of artists.
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Theology. chosen by God, especially for eternal life.
noun
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a person or the persons chosen or worthy to be chosen.
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Theology. a person or persons chosen by God, especially for favor or salvation.
elect.
2
American
Or
elec
abbreviation
-
electric.
-
electrical.
-
electrician.
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electricity.
elect
British
/ ɪˈlɛkt /
verb
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(tr) to choose (someone) to be (a representative or a public official) by voting
they elected him Mayor
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to select; choose
to elect to die rather than surrender
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(tr) (of God) to select or predestine for the grace of salvation
adjective
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(immediately postpositive) voted into office but not yet installed
the president elect
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chosen or choice; selected or elite
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( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the elect
-
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Christianity
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selected or predestined by God to receive salvation; chosen
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( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the elect
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Synonym Usage
See choose.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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electabilitynoun
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electeenoun
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nonelectnoun
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preelectverb (used with object)
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reelectverb (used with object)
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electableadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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electsimple
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electssimple
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have electedperfect
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has electedperfect
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am electingprogressive
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are electingprogressive
-
is electingprogressive
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have been electingperfect progressive
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has been electingperfect progressive
Past
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electedsimple
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had electedperfect
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was electingprogressive
-
were electingprogressive
-
had been electingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of elect
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin ēlēctus “chosen” (past participle of ēligere ), equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + leg- “choose” + -tus past participle suffix; see e- 1, elite
Explanation
To elect is to choose. A group of citizens may elect the next president, or you may just elect to stay home during the blizzard. Most famously, in the political sense, elect means to choose a person for public office, usually via an election. It also means to choose a particular course in life of major consequence. You probably don't elect to drink Pepsi over Coke, but you do elect to study a particular major at college, or sign up for military service.
Vocabulary lists containing elect
Election Lingo
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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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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.
See Examples For:
This lesson serves as both warning and promise: What we reward when we elect is what grows.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
Voters in Israel go to the polls on Tuesday to elect a new parliament; a week later, voters in the United States will elect a new Congress.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Of course I’m talking about Fat Bear Week, the annual event in which people elect — well, yes, the fattest bear.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
On November 9, they will appear before the ILO's governing body, which will then elect the new leader by secret ballot on November 16.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Then borrowing from the school’s motto, “Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Serve,” I added: “If you elect me I will go forth to serve all of you.”
From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez
“Listen to me. Please don’t forget, laws don’t just happen to you. Laws are made and they’re made by the people you elect. So you have a voice, exercise it.”
From Washington Times ● Apr. 7, 2016
In fact, for 36 of the last 44 years, City Hall has been occupied by four men whom Mr. Garth helped elect. is the fourth.
From New York Times ● Jun. 2, 2010
Spenser. dim. diminutive. opp. opposed. subj. subjunctive. dub. doubtful. opt. optics. suff. suffix. eccles. ecclesiastical history. orig. originally. superl. superlative. e.g. for example. ornith. ornithology. surg. surgery. elect. electricity.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various
The second person takes the shares out in kind and elects net unrealized appreciation treatment.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Each Texas county elects its own slate of local officials, which is why state law requires voters to register where they live.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
During the recent elections across England and Wales, Labour lost control of Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, which elects a third of its councillors over four years.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
The Fed’s rate-setting body, the Federal Open Market Committee, elects its own chair every year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
The Gathering elects Runners, and if you think I’m tough, they’d laugh in your face.”
From "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner
“Whoever gets elected this cycle will have to deal with Social Security.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
If elected, he will be the first openly gay senator in American history.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2026
Burnham was elected MP in June after the Makerfield by-election, before securing the Labour Party leadership and becoming prime minister after Sir Keir Starmer lost the support of Labour MPs and quit Downing Street.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
His youngest brother, Jair Renan, 28, was elected a lawmaker for the same city.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Although elected President of the College of Physicians in 1654, he had to decline the honour on the grounds of age and ill health.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
In 2026, your mother can contribute up to $95,000 in one go by electing to front-load five years of annual gift-tax exclusions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
The endorsement may come with some financial support, with the group saying it has raised some $25 million to fund its goal of electing more doctors and nurses to office between now and 2030.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
In her video, Michelle Bolsonaro recalled how she had built up the women's wing "from scratch", electing over a thousand female leaders, and helping "reduce rejection" of some male candidates.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
With permanent resident status, she said she has no say in electing officials who shape her everyday life, despite contributing taxes and caring for the elderly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
“I can not shoulder the responsibility of electing officers who publicly repudiate the principles of the society,” Foster said.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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