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.

Money raised by a candidate campaign committees does, however, bring some advantages over money raised by other committees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

He had received endorsements from top Democrats, including California Sen. Adam Schiff and Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, his close friend and a potential 2028 presidential candidate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The SNP has selected Hannah Mary Goodlad - their only constituency candidate who doesn't have a political background of some sort.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

The valuation is incredibly cheap relative to the franchise—the stock trades at a single-digit earnings multiple—and Beacon itself would be a good acquisition candidate.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

“I am candidate for corporation counsel,” he wrote.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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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