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.

If Starmer or another candidate stands against him, then the Labour Party’s 300,000 members must choose the winner, a process that could take months to play out.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

The founder of a cafe for adults with additional needs has said she was "deeply disappointed" at the conduct of Reform UK during a visit by leader Nigel Farage and the party's Makerfield by-election candidate.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Another candidate, tech entrepreneur Adam Miller, reported about $276,000 in contributions and $4 million in loans he made to his campaign.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

Prior to joining the Trump administration, Gabbard was a four-term Democratic representative from Hawaii and a 2020 presidential candidate.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

The perfect candidate showed up for the job, a guy who has a legitimate plumber’s license, and Dad didn’t like his professional opinion?

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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!