Candidate Meaning
/ˈkæn.dɪdət/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person who seeks to be elected or appointed to a position or privilege.
nounA person who is thought likely or worthy to gain a position or privilege.
Sentence Examples
Strange to say, no one voted for the candidate.
We voted for the candidate.
The hunt is on for a suitable candidate.
CEFR Practice Quiz
Every ____ for the job must submit their resume before Friday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ gave a long speech about her plans for the city's future.
Word Origin & History
From Latin candidātus (“a person who is standing for public office”, noun), from candidus (“dazzling white, shining, clear”) + -ātus, -āta, -ātum (participial adjective-forming suffix), in reference to Roman candidates wearing bleached white togas as a symbol of purity at a public forum. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Artiles, a Republican operative with a reputation for a foul mouth and sharp elbows, is accused of financing a sham candidate whose candidacy was intended to siphon votes from a legitimate Democratic candidate in a state Senate race in South Florida’s 37th District. The candidate has the same last name as then-Democratic incumbent Jose Javier Rodriguez but did not actively campaign for the seat and has since admitted being recruited as a spoiler."
— 2021 March 18, Scott Glover, Curt Devine and Audrey Ash, “Former Florida state senator charged in spoiler candidate scheme”, in CNN:
"In the past two years, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope has located nearly 3,000 exoplanet candidates ranging from sub-Earth-sized minions to gas giants that dwarf our own Jupiter."
— 2013 May-June, Kevin Heng, “Why Does Nature Form Exoplanets Easily?”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, archived from the original on 07 Aug 2013, page 184:
"The matter of candidating for a pulpit is not a matter of difference between congregations and Rabbis, but between Rabbis themselves."
— 1906, Year Book of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, page 196:
"Furthermore, the fact that a school principal has only been in a large school six weeks does not prevent his candidating for principal of a larger school with larger salary."
— 1917, William Harvey Allen, Universal Training for Citizenship and Public Service, page 154:
"The report Shaping the Future also gives a set of learning outcomes for those people candidating for ordained ministry. These were also agreed by the Methodist Conference."
— 2014, Susan H. Jones, Listening for God's Call, SCM Press, →ISBN, page 74:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Every ____ for the job must submit their resume before Friday.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ gave a long speech about her plans for the city's future.