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• elect
  elect

  verb (used with object)

  to choose or select by vote, as for an office.
• elect.
  elect.

  abbreviation

  electric.

elect

¹ American  

[ih-lekt] / ɪˈlɛkt /

verb (used with object)

• elects,
  present (3rd person singular)
• elected,
  past participle,  past
• electing
  present participle

1. to choose or select by vote, as for an office.

   to elect a mayor.

2. to determine in favor of (a method, course of action, etc.).

3. to pick out; choose.

   First-year students may elect French, Spanish, or German.

4. Theology. (of God) to select for divine mercy or favor, especially for salvation.

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verb (used without object)

• elects,
  present (3rd person singular)
• elected,
  past participle,  past
• electing
  present participle

1. to choose or select someone or something, as by voting.

adjective

1. selected, as for an office, but not yet inducted (usually used in combination following a noun).

   the governor-elect.

2. select or choice.

   an elect circle of artists.

3. Theology. chosen by God, especially for eternal life.

noun

1. a person or the persons chosen or worthy to be chosen.

2. Theology. a person or persons chosen by God, especially for favor or salvation.

elect. ² American  

Or elec

abbreviation

1. electric.

2. electrical.

3. electrician.

4. electricity.

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elect British  

/ ɪˈlɛkt /

verb

1. (tr) to choose (someone) to be (a representative or a public official) by voting

   they elected him Mayor

2. to select; choose

   to elect to die rather than surrender

3. (tr) (of God) to select or predestine for the grace of salvation

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adjective

1. (immediately postpositive) voted into office but not yet installed

   the president elect

2. 1. chosen or choice; selected or elite

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the elect

3. Christianity

   1. selected or predestined by God to receive salvation; chosen

   2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )

      the elect

Synonym Usage

See choose.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• electability
  noun
• electee
  noun
• nonelect
  noun
• preelect
  verb (used with object)
• reelect
  verb (used with object)
• electable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• electing
  present
• elected
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• elect
  simple
• elects
  simple
• have elected
  perfect
• has elected
  perfect
• am electing
  progressive
• are electing
  progressive
• is electing
  progressive
• have been electing
  perfect progressive
• has been electing
  perfect progressive

Past

• elected
  simple
• had elected
  perfect
• was electing
  progressive
• were electing
  progressive
• had been electing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will elect
  simple
• will have elected
  perfect
• will be electing
  progressive
• will have been electing
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elect elect. elects elected electing

Again, she likely has 60 days to elect COBRA, and once she pays the required premiums, her coverage can be applied retroactively to when her employer coverage ended.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

“It’s not clear that any of these reforms helped elect more moderates or limit polarization,” said Rick Hasen, a professor of law and political science at UCLA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

That will remain an issue whether he remains at Chelsea or Manchester City elect to revive their interest and attempt to reunite him with his former manager Enzo Maresca before deadline day on 1 September.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

Mayor Zohran Mamdani was riding high earlier this summer after fulfilling a campaign pledge to tax the wealthy, helping elect three progressive congressional candidates and handing the victorious Knicks the keys to the city.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

In April, Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it became necessary to elect a President.

From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell

“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

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

Councillor Martin Murray has been appointed interim leader of the Reform group at Staffordshire County Council, until the group elects a new permanent leader.

From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025

Decides he must be close to ocean and elects to try and work way through swamp to sea.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer

If elected, he would be the first Muslim to hold a U.S.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

De la Espriella, a flamboyant 48-year-old millionaire, was elected in June on an anti-establishment platform.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Under the state’s constitution, a head of government can be elected with a mere plurality of votes if he or she fails to obtain a majority in three consecutive votes in the house.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

Reorganisation in Surrey, where councillors for two new unitary authorities were elected in May, will not be affected by the review.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Buoyed by this example of success, thousands of new migrants massing in the city’s second ward in 1917 and 1918 took to the polls and elected two black aldermen to represent them.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

If the stock trades at $80, that means electing it only on lots with a basis of $16 or less.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

They were also electing 226 seats in parliament.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

Their analysis found that every method for electing a national legislature involves compromises, usually among local representation, national proportionality, and the total number of parliamentary seats.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026

"I believe in the democratic tradition of electing local authorities and for those authorities to be accountable to the people that elect them," he added.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

“Does anyone wish to talk quietly and in turn, first about this Milagro Land and Water Protection Association, and second about electing leaders?”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Related Words

• accept
• admit
• appoint
• conclude
• designate
• determine
• name
• nominate
• pick
• receive
• resolve
• take
• vote
• vote for