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.

But the candidate was not the main speaker.

From Slate • May 19, 2026

Burnham is expected to be confirmed as Labour's candidate in the by-election in the next day or so and we can expect to hear more from Streeting later this week.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

This is a candidate who, after all, already has a Hulu development deal in the works documenting life after the Palisades fires.

From Salon • May 18, 2026

So when Eric Swalwell entered the race for California governor, Martinez had his candidate.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

When reporters asked Khrushchev which candidate the Soviets favored, he shrugged.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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!