by-election

noun

by-elec·​tion ˈbī-ə-ˌlek-shən 

variants or less commonly bye-election

: a special election held between regular elections in order to fill a vacancy

Examples of by-election in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Scottish Labour MPs, in particular, are nervous after the Conservatives won a recent by-election in Aberdeen South after effectively turning it into a referendum on North Sea oil and gas. — Ian King, CNBC, 15 July 2026

The political broker wanted former lawmaker Kim Young-sun to be the conservative People Power Party candidate in the 2022 legislative by-election. — ABC News, 13 July 2026

Farage will hope the by-election will return him to parliament all but unopposed, his mandate renewed and his image as a man of the people capable of taking on the system, more Teflon-coated than ever. — Melissa Bell, CNN Money, 8 July 2026

Starmer’s exit was all but confirmed late last week following the result of a by-election in the Manchester constituency of Makerfield. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for by-election

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• disinfection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection