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.

Since water is essential for life as we know it, planets in this zone are considered the best candidates.

From Science Daily

But the candidates who had not been invited to the USC debate had already made other commitments.

From Los Angeles Times

This is done by a first-past-the-post system of voting where the candidate with the most votes wins.

From BBC

As a candidate, Fulop had a compelling back story: The Jersey native was the son of Jewish immigrants who ran a deli.

From The Wall Street Journal

Parry, a former senior Royal Navy officer, was named in December by Reform as its candidate for the mayoral contest.

From BBC