candidate

[kan-di-deyt, -dit, kan-di-deyt] / ˈkæn dɪˌdeɪt, -dɪt, ˈkæn dɪˌdeɪt /

NOUN

person desiring political office, job

Synonyms

STRONGEST

applicant aspirant bidder competitor contender contestant nominee successor

STRONG

claimant entrant hopeful petitioner possibility pothunter runner seeker stumper suitor write-in

WEAK

dark horse favorite son handshaker job-hunter office seeker possible choice solicitant whistle-stopper

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.

“We have to do this because unfortunately we can’t just rely on what a candidate says anymore,” St. Dic says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The Green candidate Sarah Wakefield says she wants to offer more "hope" and "better solutions" to voters in Makerfield.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

After a week of counting ballots from the 2 June primary race, the British-born candidate secured his slot to move ahead in the election, edging out billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, a Democrat.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

Phil Housley, whom Laviolette described as an “excellent coach,” could be another potential candidate.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

Former World Champion Boris Spassky once said that he dreamt about chess, and David Bronstein, a World Championship candidate, talked about playing whole games in his sleep—ones he could reproduce the next morning.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Vocabulary lists containing candidate

Election Lingo

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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting

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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 2

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!