Elect Meaning
/ɪˈlɛkt/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne chosen or set apart.
nounIn Calvinist theology, one foreordained to Heaven. In other Christian theologies, someone chosen by God for salvation.
Sentence Examples
We will elect whoever we believe is worthy.
They agreed to elect him as president.
Voters will elect a new president on 30 March next year.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The committee will ____ a new chairperson during the annual meeting tomorrow.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We will ____ whoever we believe is worthy.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend. Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek rather than Latin, hence prefix ἐκ (ek), rather than e- (from ex).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 42:1:
"Shall not God avenge his won elect?"
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 18:7:
"President Obama in a speech this past week said that we should solve the nation's bee problem. Oh, God, we elected a guy who sympathizes with bees?"
— 2014, Norm Macdonald Live, season 2, episode 9, spoken by Norm Macdonald:
"She began almost to feel a dislike of Edward; and it ended, as every feeling must end with her, by carrying back her thoughts to Willoughby, whose manners formed a contrast sufficiently striking to those of his brother elect."
— 1811, Jane Austen, chapter 16, in Sense and Sensibility:
"colours quaint elect"
— 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The committee will ____ a new chairperson during the annual meeting tomorrow.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
We will ____ whoever we believe is worthy.