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 United States meanwhile voiced frustration that its preferred candidate, Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi, failed to garner consensus, and threatened to walk away from the peacekeeping body.

From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026

That said, Marvell isn’t the only sizable IT candidate.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

WFP leadership, however, in a rare move contrary to party membership, decided not to endorse any candidate in the race.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026

Manchester City are contemplating taking legal action after a Real Madrid presidential candidate promised to sign their striker Erling Haaland.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

And the very notion that a candidate should openly solicit votes violated the principled presumption that such behavior itself represented a confession of unworthiness for national office.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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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