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.

“Gavin is the candidate who can motivate both the left and the center,” Hastings told The Times, referring to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Their findings, published in Stem Cell Reports, point to glycyrrhizin, a natural compound found in black licorice, as a promising candidate for reducing intestinal inflammation and preventing cell death.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

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

From Slate • May 9, 2026

There was some drama in the early hours of Friday morning at the Merton count in London, when a Liberal Democrat candidate wearing a bright yellow tie collapsed.

From BBC • May 8, 2026

Doctors wanted to know how long it took a candidate to regain balance.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson

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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