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.

Abigail Dow, an applied microeconomist and PhD candidate in economics at Boston University, underscored the correlation between childcare costs and people’s decisions to have children in a recent research paper.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2026

“California has been a rich goldmine for many a candidate and continues to be that,” said Michael Beckel, director of money in politics reform at Issue One, a bipartisan advocacy group.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

He had received endorsements from top Democrats, including California Sen. Adam Schiff and Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, his close friend and a potential 2028 presidential candidate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Dumbarton is one of three seats which has had the same MSP since 1999 - and in all three, the same candidate is seeking to continue that streak.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Didn’t he look just like a presidential candidate?

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell

Vocabulary lists containing candidate

Election Lingo

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

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!