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.

But this race is going to be the sort of toxic mud match in which the candidate who is most unfairly attacked will also likely lose.

From Slate • May 30, 2026

Zamora is a member of the teachers union and, based on her responses in a candidate survey, seems somewhat less critical of charters than Rivas.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

The congressional candidate described Cubans as "very resilient."

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

Suozzi last year wrote an entire Wall Street Journal op-ed about then-mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

From Salon • May 29, 2026

We’ve been wondering which prince they’ll marry this beauty off to, but can’t think of a suitable candidate; perhaps her sister, Princess Margaret Rose, can have Crown Prince Baudouin of Belgium!

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

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!