canvass

play

verb can·vass \ˈkan-vəs\

variants: or less commonly

canvas

Definition of canvass

canvassed

;

canvassing

transitive verb
1 obsolete : to toss in a canvas sheet in sport or punishment
2a : to examine in detail; specifically : to examine (votes) officially for authenticityb : discuss, debate canvassed all the items on the agenda
3 : to go through (a district) or go to (persons) in order to solicit orders or political support or to determine opinions or sentiments canvass voters canvassed the neighborhood to solicit magazine subscriptions
intransitive verb
: to seek orders or votes : solicit was canvassing for a seat in Congress

canvasser

or less commonly

canvaser

noun

See canvass defined for English-language learners

See canvass defined for kids

Examples of canvass in a Sentence

A team of volunteers is canvassing the city for the Republican Party.
We go to every house to canvass voters.
She is canvassing for one of the presidential candidates this year.
The group has been canvassing neighborhoods to ask people to vote for him.
The company canvassed several sites for a new factory.

Recent Examples of canvass from the Web

In canvassing opinion among unmarried women seeking a partner, ¥7m a year seems a common floor among the better educated.

— The Economist, "BanyanNo one is well-served by sexism in Japan," 13 July 2017
Over the course of three open evaluation windows, Miller and his staff will canvass the country, prioritizing top targets, identifying new ones and firming up their plans for official visit season — and then the signing window.

— zach osterman, The Courier-Journal, "Recruiting: Who are some of IU's top 2018 targets?," 5 July 2017
CMPD detectives were canvassing the area for witnesses late Wednesday.

— joe marusak, charlotteobserver, "Driver shot while stopped at light on busy Charlotte road," 5 July 2017
Kansas City police plan to canvass different areas Friday to limit the practice.

— max londberg, kansascity.com, "Morning Rush: Kobach wants voters’ personal info; Border War; gunfire on the Fourth," 30 June 2017
Detectives were canvassing the neighborhood Thursday night for information or potential witnesses.

— darcy costello, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville Metro Police investigating a fatal shooting Thursday in Parkland neighborhood," 22 June 2017
Officers canvassed the area and stopped a blue van in the area and detained Willard Moody, 48.

— prescotte stokes iii, AL.com, "Mobile crime report: Man loses NBA Finals bet, robs his friends at gunpoint; Police say," 12 June 2017
Police were canvassing the neighborhood and brought several witnesses to police headquarters for interviews Sunday morning.

— julio ojeda-zapata, Twin Cities, "St. Paul shooting leaves one man dead outside bar Sunday. Police seek a suspect.," 11 June 2017
Three candidates, all fighting to hold seats, said their experience canvassing for votes bore little relation to the polling, with districts where Labour had majorities in the thousands at risk.

— robert hutton, Bloomberg.com, "Labour Privately Preparing for a U.K. Election Defeat," 6 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'canvass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of canvass

see ¹canvas

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1508

See Words from the same year

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

canvass

noun can·vass

variants: or less commonly

canvas

Definition of canvass

: the act or an instance of canvassing; especially : a personal solicitation of votes or survey of public opinion a house-to-house canvass to ascertain the vote before the election

Recent Examples of canvass from the Web

Members of an election canvass board met Friday afternoon to count the remaining ballots.

— devin kelly, Alaska Dispatch News, "After incumbents survive Homer council recall effort, a desire to ‘move on’," 18 June 2017
Among the 570, about half (267) provided sufficient photo ID before the county canvass and were able to make their votes count, his office said.

— michelle ye hee lee, Washington Post, "Do voter ID laws help or hurt voter turnout?," 30 May 2017
Inside a glass skyscraper with views of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, visitors can discover sculpture that bends and curves, paintings in kaleidoscopic colors and canvasses in geometric shapes.

— donna m. owens, baltimoresun.com, "Curated collections give Baltimore hotel guests an artful stay," 18 May 2017
Inside, the walls are white, as the couple wanted their future tenants to have a blank canvass.

— kevinisha walker, NOLA.com, "Architect couple turns crumbling concrete building into modern Marigny home," 16 May 2017
Foremost were his muses, the wives and lovers who filled up his life and canvasses and have long been recognized as a key influence.

— j.s. marcus, WSJ, "Picasso’s Print Partnerships," 12 May 2017
The landscape, the characters, and the canvass were the complete opposite of an ‘

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Channing Tatum shot a NASCAR movie in Charlotte. Here’s everything we know about it so far.," 12 May 2017
An original copy of the canvass report was found by the lawyers during a review of the case by a conviction integrity unit.

— jim dwyer, New York Times, "The Case of the Missing Murder Witness," 18 Apr. 2017
A final tally and canvass of the numbers should be posted on the morning of April 21, according to the city’s website.

— jeff landa, Glendale News-Press, "Incumbents, former candidate in the lead to fill 3 seats on Glendale City Council," 5 Apr. 2017

Origin and Etymology of canvass

see ¹canvas

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1611

See Words from the same year

CANVASS Defined for English Language Learners

canvass

play

verb

Definition of canvass for English Language Learners

: to ask (the people in an area) what they think about a candidate, project, idea, etc.
: to talk to the people in an area in order to get them to support a candidate, project, idea, etc.
: to look at or consider (something) carefully

CANVASS Defined for Kids

canvass

play

verb can·vass \ˈkan-vəs\

Definition of canvass for Students

canvassed

;

canvassing

: to go to (people) to ask for votes, contributions, or orders for goods or to determine public opinion

canvasser

noun

Law Dictionary

canvass

verb can·vass \ˈkan-vəs\

variants: also

canvas

\ˈkan-vəs\ play

Legal Definition of canvass

canvassed

also

canvased

canvassing

also

canvasing

transitive verb
1 a : to examine in detail; specifically : to examine (votes) officially for authenticity b : to make the subject of discussion or debate
2 : to go through (a district) or go to (persons) in order to solicit orders or political support or to determine opinions or sentiments
intransitive verb
: to seek or solicit orders or votes