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.

“It’s like: ‘We need to figure out a candidate who can win!’

From Slate • May 9, 2026

There was a flurry of excitement as Independent candidate Captain Beany arrived at Afan Ogwr Rhondda count for the Senedd on Friday afternoon.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Who could’ve known SGA would become a perennial MVP candidate?

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Khan denies his group is spreading sectarian politics, pointing out that the ICA is fielding a Jewish candidate and a non-Muslim bare-knuckle fighter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The premise was that every candidate gave a speech—with no notes and no teleprompter—and also tried to bring along as many supporters as possible.

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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