Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

candidate

[ noun kan-di-deyt, -dit; verb kan-di-deyt ]

noun

  1. a person who seeks an office, honor, etc.:

    a candidate for governor.

  2. a person who is selected by others as a contestant for an office, honor, etc.
  3. a person who is deserving of or seems destined for a certain end or fate:

    Such a reckless spender is a candidate for the poorhouse.

  4. a student studying for a degree:

    Candidates for the B.A. will have to meet certain minimum requirements.



verb (used without object)

candidated, candidating.
  1. to become a candidate for service as a new minister of a church; preach before a congregation that is seeking a new minister.

candidate

/ -dɪt; ˈkændɪdətʃə; ˈkændɪˌdeɪt; ˈkændɪdəsɪ /

noun

  1. a person seeking or nominated for election to a position of authority or honour or selection for a job, promotion, etc
  2. a person taking an examination or test
  3. a person or thing regarded as suitable or likely for a particular fate or position

    this wine is a candidate for his cellar

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • candidacy, noun
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • ·徱·岹· [kan, -di-d, uh, -see], noun
  • ··徱·岹·ٳܰ noun
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of candidate1

First recorded in 1605–15, candidate is from the Latin word Ի徱ٳܲ “clothed in white” (adective), “candidate for office” (noun, in reference to the white togas worn by those seeking office); candid, -ate 1
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of candidate1

C17: from Latin Ի徱ٳܲ clothed in white (because in ancient Rome a candidate wore a white toga), from candidus white
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The Homelessness Prevention Unit analysts randomly work their way through the names on the high-risk list to come up with two groups of candidates.

From

But he said he found it tricky to vote for candidates who he thought were"morally reproachable" and at the local elections, he wanted to vote for those who deemed "honourable and upright."

From

Posters for candidates, inescapable in other parts of Australia, are conspicuously absent as you drive past fields of sugar cane and down a gently winding coastal road.

From

The leader of the sovereigntist party, which only runs candidates in Quebec, did urge Carney to avoid pressing the province on certain issues, noting that collaboration goes both ways.

From

A draft executive order circulated proposing an overhaul of the exam that had long focused on knowledge of international affairs to now require candidates demonstrate “alignment with the president’s foreign policy vision.”

From

Advertisement

Discover More

More About Candidate

doescandidate mean?

Candidate most commonly means someone who’s seeking to be elected, hired, or appointed to a position, especially a political office or job.

The word candidate most commonly refers to a politician seeking election or a person who has applied for a job. But it can be used in several other ways to refer to someone or something under consideration for some kind of treatment or status.

Example: We have more than 100 applicants, but almost none of them are qualified candidates for this job.

Where doescandidate come from?

The word candidate comes from the Latin Ի徱ٳܲ, meaning “clothed in white”—a reference to the fact that ancient Roman political candidates often wore white togas (or robes). The related word candid, meaning “outspoken or sincere,” comes from the Latin candidus, meaning “shining white.” The first recorded use of candidate in English comes from the 1600s.

Candidate has been used since then to refer to politicians running for office. Later, candidate began to be used in relation to academics, referring to a student pursuing a particular degree, such as a Ph.D. candidate. The word is commonly used today to mean someone who has applied for a job. Candidate can refer to any applicant for a job, but it is often specifically used for one who is seriously being considered for it.

Candidate can also be used in a more general way to refer to any person being considered for something, as in candidate for surgery (a person who may qualify to undergo a procedure) or candidate for promotion. But candidate isn’t only used for people—things can be candidates, too. For example, a particular expense might be considered a candidate for a budget cut, or a wine may be a candidate for a prize.

The word candidate is often used in the context of official decisions, but it doesn’t have to be. You could say that a movie is a candidate for your top 10 list, or you could tease your friend by saying they’re a candidate for Blockhead of the Year. (If we’re being candid, that seems like what most politicians are running for, too.)

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms of candidate?

  • candidacy (noun)
  • candidateship (noun, primarily British)
  • candidature (noun, primarily British)
  • precandidacy (noun)
  • precanditure (noun)

are some synonyms for candidate?

are some words that share a root or word element with candidate?

are some words that often get used in discussing candidate?

are some words candidate may be commonly confused with?

How iscandidateused in real life?

Candidate is most often used in the context of running for political office or applying for a job.

Try usingcandidate!

Which of the following words can be a synonym for candidate?

A. associate
B. applicant
C. consideration
D. campaign

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


candidacycandidate species