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.

At that point, the primary was still three months away; the candidate filing deadline hadn’t even passed.

From Slate • May 12, 2026

If not, then the candidate who finishes bottom will be eliminated and the voters who put them as their number one will see their vote moved to their second choice.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Those four were publicly interviewed by member states in April, and any new candidate will also undergo this process.

From Barron's • May 12, 2026

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is a fan of Alta Baja’s blue cornbread; Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee held a meet-and-greet there when she ran for president two years ago.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Wergin already had some idea about Haupt's situation because Haupt had recommended Wergin as a potential candidate to Kappe.

From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple

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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