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.

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

Both CNN and NBC News projected Hilton, a former British political strategist and Fox News commentator, had enough votes to maintain his lead from third-place candidate Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge manager.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

The first-time political candidate said he got the skull and crossbones tattoo in 2007, when he was in his 20s and in the Marine Corps.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

We need to be assured with specific examples of how a candidate will work to fix America for us: income disparity, job availability, affordability of living and retirement planning.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

If we have something they didn’t, then experiment would seem a good candidate.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Vocabulary lists containing candidate

Election Lingo

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

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!