Definition of HUSTINGS

Did You Know?

Hustings are where babies are kissed, flesh is pressed, and media events are staged. The term traces to an Old Norse word meaning "house assembly," and 1000 years ago hustings were judicial assemblies where Anglo-Saxon kings and their followers held council and resolved civil disputes. Over time, "hustings" came to refer not only to the assembly but also to the platform where the leaders of such gatherings sat, and in due course the term was applied to the entire campaigning process as well. Nowadays, "on the hustings" is synonymous with "on the stump," and it can refer to any place along the campaign trail where a candidate makes a pitch for public office.

Examples of hustings in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Without Donald Trump on the hustings, the coming weeks of campaigning in America will have less ... — Arkansas Online, "OPINION | EDITORIAL: No respecter of persons," 3 Oct. 2020 While Trump flies Air Force One around the country for raucous airplane hangar rallies and mega-fundraisers, Pence hits the hustings in two-lane road communities. — David M. Drucker, Washington Examiner, "Pence deployed to key areas by Trump campaign to gin up local support," 10 Sep. 2020 When he was incapacitated by a fall, and his wife, Annie, was sidelined by a near-paralyzing stutter, Ms. Carpenter took to the hustings and delivered John Glenn’s speeches. — BostonGlobe.com, "Rene Carpenter, astronaut’s wife who broke NASA mold, 92," 30 July 2020

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