Definitions

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.

Candidate Tomás Sidenfaden, a software developer and entrepreneur who lives in Century City, also criticized how the county handled the fire.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2026

"Discoveries like this are only possible because of investment into long-term multi-decadal research programs and international collaboration," Griffith University Phd Candidate and co-author Stephanie Stack said.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

“Everyone wants to draw from a limited pool,” says Michael Zhang, CEO of Candidate Labs, a recruiting firm that has placed talent at startups including Cursor and Vercel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Candidate one is elected, but then is found to have broken Senedd rules in a way that is serious enough for the standards committee to recommend a recall process.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2025

Candidate instructors, it stipulated, were to have a fluent knowledge of both the French and English languages, and only those of temperate habits and unquestionable character need apply.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

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!