canvass

1 of 3

verb

can·​vass ˈkan-vəs 

variants or less commonly canvas

canvassed; canvassing

transitive verb

1

: 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

2

a

: to examine in detail

specifically : to examine (votes) officially for authenticity

b

: discuss, debate

canvassed all the items on the agenda

3

obsolete : to toss in a canvas sheet in sport or punishment

intransitive verb

: to seek orders or votes : solicit

was canvassing for a seat in Congress

canvasser noun

or less commonly canvaser

canvass

2 of 3

noun (1)

variants or less commonly canvas

: 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

canvasser

3 of 3

noun (2)

can·​vass·​er

ˈkan-və-sər

plural -s

: one that canvasses: such as

a

: one that takes or counts votes

b

: a solicitor especially for funds or subscriptions : a campaign worker

c

: a door-to-door salesperson

Synonyms of canvass

Verb

• survey
• interview

Examples of canvass in a Sentence

Verb

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 on the Web

Verb

State police say investigators are canvassing the area surrounding Ryan's father's home and will be knocking on residents' doors in search of surveillance video that may show Ryan's movements. — Katie Houlis, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026

Gilchrest, meanwhile, has been spending money on digital advertising on Facebook as well as postcards and texting and continues to focus on canvassing. — Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 7 Aug. 2026

Noun

El-Sayed plans to remain in Detroit, joining canvass launches and trying to turn enthusiasm in the state’s largest city into votes. — Joey Cappelletti, Twin Cities, 3 Aug. 2026

Room for Disagreement Casar’s conclusion from his Harris canvass was that Republicans’ message machine was skilled at making swing voters more aware of culture-war issues than Democratic policies. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

see canvas entry 1

Noun (1)

see canvas entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1508, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun (1)

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for canvass

• canvas

Kids Definition

canvass

1 of 2 verb

can·​vass ˈkan-vəs 

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

canvasser noun

canvass

2 of 2 noun

: an act of canvassing

Legal Definition

canvass

verb

can·​vass

variants also canvas

ˈkan-vəs 

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