elect

1 of 3

adjective

1
: carefully selected : chosen
2
: chosen for salvation through divine mercy
3
a
: chosen for office or position but not yet installed
the president-elect
b
: chosen for marriage at some future time
the bride-elect

elect

2 of 3

noun

plural elect
1
: one chosen or set apart (as by divine favor)
2
elects plural : a select or exclusive group of people

elect

3 of 3

verb

elected; electing; elects

transitive verb

1
: to select by vote for an office, position, or membership
elected her class president
2
: to make a selection of
will elect an academic program
3
: to choose (something, such as a course of action) especially by preference
might elect to sell the business

intransitive verb

: to make a selection

Example Sentences

Adjective this elect body of students represents the best that the nation's high schools have to offer Noun the members of this all-American team are the elect of collegiate football Verb He hopes to be elected to the committee. I've elected to study French as my foreign language.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
And a little more than half the country will call him crazy and re-elect President Obama. Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2011 But, proving that ticket-splitting is alive and well in New Hampshire, four out of five voters also opted to re-elect Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. Katie Mcinerney, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Nov. 2022 The National Rifle Association’s board of directors voted Monday to re-elect longtime CEO Wayne LaPierre, signaling that the gun rights group isn’t changing direction despite a rise in mass shootings and its own internal turmoil. David Ingram, NBC News, 30 May 2022 The illusion of complete normality could prompt people to spend more and re-elect current politicians for office. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022 In some cases, those who are vaccinated but elect to not receive a booster would be subjected to game-day testing again starting Dec. 1, the NBA said. Tim Reynolds, ajc, 7 Nov. 2021 Voters chose to re-elect incumbents Daniel Ursu and Juanita Lewis. cleveland, 4 Nov. 2021 And it’s one of those moments when any leader expecting to slide into re-elect mode as early as November of next year starts to get worried. Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Aug. 2021
Noun
With such concerns in mind, GrowSF, an advocacy group started in 2020 by two software engineers who left tech jobs to launch it, focuses on public safety and helping elect officials who will crack down on things like property crime and open-air drug bazaars. Olga R. Rodriguez, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2023 As ever, the vast majority elect to donate the full sum to the cause in question. Condé Nast, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2023 Where the profession of artist is obviated—save for the elect few—because the product is ultimately privileged over the person. Vivian Lam, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2023 Many injuries and few match opportunities have left the expensive winger frozen out at the La Liga champion elect. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2022 What’s clear enough is that Tár is a member of the cultural elect. Becca Rothfeld, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2023 At this point in the poem, the veil between fiction and allegory becomes nearly transparent, as an old man named Contemplation reveals to the knight his name and his calling, as the patron saint of England and one of God’s elect. Catherine Nicholson, The New York Review of Books, 15 June 2021 McCarthy likely would be screaming about how this representative-elect should not be in Congress and how the Democratic leadership needed to denounce this politician. Dean Obeidallah, CNN, 1 Jan. 2023 Turning up again and again, like a scene-stealing supporting player, was the representative-elect George Santos, the Queens-Long Island fabulist. Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2023
Verb
The Democratic congressman, who had endorsed former city councilmember Cherelle Parker in the crowded race, decided to weigh in on how Philadelphians elect their mayor. Bridget Bowman, NBC News, 17 May 2023 Under Armour came in with a future Senator Before he was elected a U.S. Senator from Alabama, Tommy Tuberville was a successful football coach at Ole Miss and Auburn and to a lesser degree Texas Tech and Cincinnati (29-22). Scott Springer, The Enquirer, 16 May 2023 The council member, who represents the Ocotillo district, was first elected in 2014 and has served multiple city commissions and committees, including the Glendale Planning and Zoning Commission. Renata Cló, The Arizona Republic, 16 May 2023 Kentucky Republicans elected Mark Metcalf in the primary election Tuesday to be the party’s nominee in the state treasurer race this fall. Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, 16 May 2023 But in the years after she was elected, her message began to resonate. Shelley Murphy, BostonGlobe.com, 16 May 2023 In December 2021, Chileans elected a 36-year-old former student activist, Gabriel Boric, to be president. Patrick Iber, The New Republic, 15 May 2023 For the first time ever, more women were elected than men. Nick Talbot, San Antonio Express-News, 14 May 2023 The candidate who receives more than 50% of votes in the first round is elected president, but if no candidate gets a majority vote, the election goes to a second round between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the first round. Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN, 12 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin electus, past participle of eligere to select, from e- + legere to choose — more at legend

Verb

Middle English, from Latin electus

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of elect was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near elect

Cite this Entry

“Elect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elect. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

elect

1 of 3 adjective
1
: carefully selected
2
: chosen for office but not yet holding office
president-elect

elect

2 of 3 noun plural
: a carefully chosen group
used with the

elect

3 of 3 verb
1
: to select by vote for an office, position, or membership
elect a senator
2
: select entry 1, choose
we elected to stay home

Legal Definition

elect

transitive verb
1
: to select by vote for an office, position, or membership
2
: to make a selection of
elected her statutory share over the gift under the will

intransitive verb

: to choose an elective share
the right of a spouse to elect against the will

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