general election
noun
: an election usually held at regular intervals in which candidates are elected in all or most constituencies of a nation or state
Examples of general election in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2019, the year of the last general election, the government allowed private FM channels to carry news bulletins, but only those produced by All India Radio, which have to be aired in unaltered form.
—
Adil Rashid, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
For presidential general elections, being included on the ballot in at least one state is sufficient for inclusion in our national polling average, provided the other conditions are also met.
—Mary Radcliffe, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2023
The exit poll was published as voting ended in the general election.
—Mike Corder and Raf Casert The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
Biden turned 81 on Monday, and numerous polls show that most people have reservations about his age and that of former President Donald Trump, Biden's likely Republican opponent in the 2024 general election.
—Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner, 20 Nov. 2023
Hamby garnered nearly two-thirds of the general election vote.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 20 Nov. 2023
In 2021, after Padilla was appointed, Newsom signed a bill into law that requires a primary and general election to fill vacant Senate seats.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
And while former President Donald Trump has a clear lead in the polls and has had a grip on the White evangelical base since the 2016 general election, faith leaders say this base is still up for grabs.
—Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023
Quite how Cameron and his patrician air and association with mistakes of the past fit into Sunak’s political program, ahead of a general election next year, is anybody’s guess.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2023
See More
Adil Rashid, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2023
For presidential general elections, being included on the ballot in at least one state is sufficient for inclusion in our national polling average, provided the other conditions are also met.
—Mary Radcliffe, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2023
The exit poll was published as voting ended in the general election.
—Mike Corder and Raf Casert The Associated Press, arkansasonline.com, 23 Nov. 2023
Biden turned 81 on Monday, and numerous polls show that most people have reservations about his age and that of former President Donald Trump, Biden's likely Republican opponent in the 2024 general election.
—Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner, 20 Nov. 2023
Hamby garnered nearly two-thirds of the general election vote.
—Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 20 Nov. 2023
In 2021, after Padilla was appointed, Newsom signed a bill into law that requires a primary and general election to fill vacant Senate seats.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
And while former President Donald Trump has a clear lead in the polls and has had a grip on the White evangelical base since the 2016 general election, faith leaders say this base is still up for grabs.
—Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023
Quite how Cameron and his patrician air and association with mistakes of the past fit into Sunak’s political program, ahead of a general election next year, is anybody’s guess.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'general election.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1640, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near general election
Cite this Entry
“General election.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general%20election. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Legal Definition
general election
noun
: an election usually held at regular intervals in which candidates are elected in all or most constituencies of a nation or state
More from Merriam-Webster on general election
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about general election
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share