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.

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

Raja Amin, a former railway union representative who is running as an independent candidate, said voters always bring up the issue of Gaza on the doorstep.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Hantavirus is a “low-incidence, structurally small market,” Evercore said, while a “mRNA hantavirus candidate remains very early stage.”

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

The new system lets voters cast as many votes as there are seats on the board, but allows them to stack their votes on a single candidate or spread them across multiple candidates.

From Salon • May 7, 2026

Some free African Americans spoke out, yet the notion of colonization persisted— even Abraham Lincoln favored it as a presidential candidate in 1860.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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!