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.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin reported progress on a vaccine candidate for the Andes strain of the virus in February 2026, though it has only been tested in mice.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

A recent study led by Adelaide University PhD candidate Xiao Lu examines how solar-powered systems can convert waste plastics into hydrogen, syngas, and other industrial chemicals.

From Science Daily • May 4, 2026

Guest: Geoff Duncan, former lieutenant governor of Georgia and a current Georgia gubernatorial candidate who switched parties from Republican to Democrat last year.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

They have the league’s reigning most valuable player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the leading candidate to repeat as MVP.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026

If I was going to continue to campaign like a candidate, I needed to be supported like a candidate.

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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