vote
Americannoun
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a formal expression of opinion or choice made by an individual or body of individuals, especially in an election.
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the means by which such expression is made, as a ballot, ticket, or show of hands.
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the right to such expression.
The 19th Amendment gave women the vote.
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the total number of votes cast.
The heavy vote was a result of a new law that allows mailed-in ballots to be scanned days in advance of the close of voting.
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the decision reached by voting, as by a majority of ballots cast.
The vote was in favor of the resolution.
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a particular group of voters, or their collective expression of will as inferred from their votes.
Two large unions endorsed the candidate on Monday, as he continues to court the labor vote.
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an informal expression of approval, agreement, or judgment.
My vote is for pepperoni—anchovies on pizza are gross!
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to enact, establish, or determine by vote.
Threats were made against members of Congress who voted the bill into law.
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to support by one's vote.
When Susan B. Anthony defied the law and voted in 1872, she proudly voted the Republican ticket.
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to advocate by or as if by one's vote: I vote we go to Disney World.
The committee voted that the report be accepted.
I vote we go to Disney World.
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to declare or decide by general consent.
They voted the trip a success.
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to encourage or cause to vote, especially in a particular way.
noun
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an indication of choice, opinion, or will on a question, such as the choosing of a candidate, by or as if by some recognized means, such as a ballot
10 votes for Jones
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the opinion of a group of persons as determined by voting
it was put to the vote
do not take a vote
it came to a vote
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a body of votes or voters collectively
the Jewish vote
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the total number of votes cast
the vote decreased at the last election
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the ticket, ballot, etc, by which a vote is expressed
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the right to vote; franchise; suffrage
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a person regarded as the embodiment of this right
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a means of voting, such as a ballot
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a grant or other proposition to be voted upon
verb
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(when tr, takes a clause as object or an infinitive) to express or signify (one's preference, opinion, or will) (for or against some question, etc)
to vote by ballot
we voted that it was time to adjourn
vote for me!
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(intr) to declare oneself as being (something or in favour of something) by exercising one's vote
to vote socialist
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(tr; foll by into or out of, etc) to appoint or elect (a person to or from a particular post)
they voted him into the presidency
he was voted out of office
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(tr) to determine the condition of in a specified way by voting
the court voted itself out of existence
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(tr) to authorize, confer, or allow by voting
vote us a rise
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informal (tr) to declare by common opinion
the party was voted a failure
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(tr) to influence or control the voting of
do not try to vote us!
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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prevotenoun
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revotenoun
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revoteverb
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unvotedadjective
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unvotingadjective
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votableadjective
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votelessadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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votesimple
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votessimple
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have votedperfect
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has votedperfect
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am votingprogressive
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are votingprogressive
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is votingprogressive
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have been votingperfect progressive
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has been votingperfect progressive
Past
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votedsimple
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had votedperfect
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was votingprogressive
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were votingprogressive
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had been votingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of vote
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English noun from Latin vōtum “a vow made to a deity; prayer, desire, hope”; see also vow
Explanation
Your vote is your official choice on some specific question. You might feel that your vote hardly counts in a Presidential election, though your vote for student council treasurer might feel like it has a lot more importance. A vote is a formal noting of your preference, in an online poll or sitting in a circle with your book group, or when you cast it on a ballot at a polling place. To voice that preference is also to vote, either officially or more casually: "Let's all vote on a group costume for Halloween this year — a bag of jelly beans or the seven dwarfs?" The Latin root of vote is votum, "a vow, wish, or promise."
Vocabulary lists containing vote
Election Lingo
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"The Civil Rights Movement"
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Academy Awards, List 1
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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:
Maine runs what are called semi-open primaries, in which unaffiliated voters can choose to vote in either major party’s primary.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
In November, Massachusetts voters will vote on a ballot initiative to reverse the state’s legalization of recreational sales, though it would still permit personal possession of small amounts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Romero has her own advice — never underestimate the power of the vote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
"Nothing presented shows evidence of any vote manipulation," Charles Stewart, an elections expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Lola and Luisa vote for Ana didn’t kiss me.
From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko
Aditya Bhave, head of U.S. economic research at BofA Global Research, said in an interview that Warsh “would comfortably have enough votes on the committee to raise rates.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
Even so, some analysts say Western governments are generally concerned about China’s efforts to influence opinions and policymaking toward Beijing, rather than about attempts to manipulate or alter votes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Obtaining a list of voter data alone does not enable someone to change votes, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation and Research.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
It was passed by 44 votes to seven, with five abstentions.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Johnson crushed Goldwater, getting 43 million votes to Goldwater’s 27 million.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
He did not say whether any of those people had voted or had an impact on any election outcome.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the amendment, but his deputy Katherine Clark voted for it, as did former speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of Congress's longest-serving defenders of the alliance.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
No. As a born-and-raised Mainer, I’ve followed many a social media thread in which former Platner supporters express suspicion that his replacement won’t reflect the progressive platform they voted for.
From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026
The other four, including the mayor, were voted out in an April recall but refused to relinquish control of City Hall.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
In the end, the crisis passed when, on the thirty-sixth ballot, the House voted Jefferson into office.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Bhave said that he thinks five of the 12 voting members of the Fed’s interest-rate committee favor hikes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
Data indicate that voting by non-citizens is rare.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Non-citizen voting is illegal and has been shown by both election audits and independent research to be exceedingly rare.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
The central bank last month left its key rate unchanged at 3.75%, with two of the MPC’s nine members voting for a rise to 4%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
More than a third of the senators abstained from voting.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
