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.

A flyer featuring a pink background was the top Instagram post on California state superintendent candidate Sonja Shaw’s page on Saturday morning.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

It also leaves the door open to another candidate: Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Manchester, who is trying to get elected to parliament to challenge Starmer.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

To become a candidate, Burnham would have to become an MP.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

Sir Keir would automatically be a candidate, without any need to solicit nominations himself.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

The premise was that every candidate gave a speech—with no notes and no teleprompter—and also tried to bring along as many supporters as possible.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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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