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.

Chris Kennedy was announced as the party's candidate on Thursday but withdrew hours later, with the Greens citing "personal and family reasons".

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Six defendants, including then-congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, were indicted on felony charges in October.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

If no candidate wins a majority in the primary, the top two vote-getters will face off in the Nov. 3 general election.

From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026

Newsom -- who is widely expected to be a leading Democratic Party candidate in the 2028 presidential election -- said lightning fast developments in AI meant the entire employment system needed to be reimagined.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

King would be stumping throughout the Tarheel State for his longtime friend, black gubernatorial candidate Dr. Reginald Hawkins.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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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