as in to choose
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
I've elected to study French as my foreign language
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in select
singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking
this elect body of students represents the best that the nation's high schools have to offer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in best
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
the members of this all-American team are the elect of collegiate football
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of elect
Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
She was elected to the state legislature in 2016.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Tim Reynolds, ajc, 7 Nov. 2021
Voters chose to re-elect incumbents Daniel Ursu and Juanita Lewis.
—cleveland, 4 Nov. 2021
Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
In the meantime, the longtime advocate for lower interest rates is expected to dissent on Wednesday when the Fed likely elects to hold monetary policy steady.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elect
Verb
He was elected to the District 4 council seat in November 2020.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Mar. 2026
She was elected to the state legislature in 2016.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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
Noun
And, unlike high-yield savings accounts, those rates are fixed and will remain the same until the account matures or until the saver elects to open the account prematurely.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
In the meantime, the longtime advocate for lower interest rates is expected to dissent on Wednesday when the Fed likely elects to hold monetary policy steady.
—Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elect
Verb
-
My approach balances practicality with subtlety, choosing travel essentials that protect without advertising your valuables.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Drink coffee the Irish way Visit restaurants Holy Grail, Moerlein Lager House, Killer Queen, The Park and Jefferson Social and choose between a two-ounce tasting of a classic Irish coffee or a specialty Irish coffee.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Doctors had little to offer Reid beyond steroids, which reduce inflammation but can cause bone fractures and diabetes, and a select few immunosuppressant drugs, which expose patients to infections and often fail to halt the disease’s progression.—
Jason Liebowitz,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The film was released theatrically by indie distributor Rich Spirit through boutique screenings in select cities.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nahshon Wright, Chicago Wright, 27, is a five-year veteran who made the Pro Bowl last season after having career bests in starts (16), interceptions (five, one returned for a touchdown), passes defended (11) and tackles (80).—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Foegele, 29, had the best season of his career in his first year as a King, with personal bests in goals, assists, points and plus-minus rating.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Live Nation is also not allowed to retaliate against a venue that picks a primary ticketer other than Ticketmaster.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Some prefer to buy their treats at the grocery store ahead of time (hello Publix BOGO’s), while others prefer to pick them up en route to their destination.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The gist, however, seems to be that extra-terrestrials make contact with a selected few, before promising to go public to the entire world — good luck dealing with the ramifications of that one, human race!—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
-
The selected cohort—Diamond Batiste, Ciara Boniface, Jeremy Hsing, Alejandra López and Brittany Alexia Young—were chosen from nearly 1,000 submissions, placing them at the forefront of a new chapter in cinematic storytelling.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
According to Deirdre Clemente, a fashion and culture historian, the emergence of the suit as the standard for men in the 18th and 19th centuries was itself a rebellion against the ornate, flashy and colorful clothing associated with aristocracy.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Film clips play silently in windows throughout the room, and even without words guests can sense the tension between old aristocracy and the rising influence of the merchant class.—
Jane Wooldridge,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Job opening numbers, personal consumption expenditures data - the Fed's preferred inflation gauge - and a second estimate of quarterly GDP are due this week.—
Reuters,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Now, the preferred tennis shoes have cool retro vibes and a wider, more rounded toe.—
Lina-Marie Baatz,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bannon has used the term globalists to refer to Silicon Valley elites, media executives, neoconservative foreign-policy hawks, proponents of lightly regulated global markets, and Jared Kushner.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Mattea Conforti will appear as Becka, a girl of humble origins who attends school with Gilead’s elite.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elect. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
