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.

The most obvious candidate is the VanEck Semiconductor Exchange-Traded Fund, home to data center chip makers seeing explosive growth in their AI offerings.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Having claimed to have knocked on every door in the constituency several times, as Reform UK has, team Burnham's approach is to send their candidate to speak to undecided voters personally, often about local issues.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

“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

Democratic voters and interest groups quickly coalesced behind Becerra, who was seen as a steady candidate with a long resume in California politics and a record of fighting the Trump administration.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

An antislavery coalition forms the Free Soil party and nominates former president Martin Van Buren as its candidate.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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

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