Synonym Chooser

How does the noun election contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of election are alternative, choice, option, preference, and selection. While all these words mean "the act or opportunity of choosing or the thing chosen," election implies an end or purpose which requires exercise of judgment.

doing a tax return forces certain elections on you

When is it sensible to use alternative instead of election?

While the synonyms alternative and election are close in meaning, alternative implies a need to choose one and reject another possibility.

equally attractive alternatives

When might choice be a better fit than election?

While in some cases nearly identical to election, choice suggests the opportunity or privilege of choosing freely.

freedom of choice

When would option be a good substitute for election?

The meanings of option and election largely overlap; however, option implies a power to choose that is specifically granted or guaranteed.

the option of paying now or later

When is preference a more appropriate choice than election?

In some situations, the words preference and election are roughly equivalent. However, preference suggests a choice guided by one's judgment or predilections.

a preference for cool weather

When could selection be used to replace election?

The words selection and election can be used in similar contexts, but selection implies a range of choice.

a varied selection of furniture

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 election Youngkin’s 2021 election was won, in part, on the issue of parents’ rights as the country was emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. Julia Manchester, The Hill, 28 Sep. 2025 Those details are reported by the organizations that receive the donations and then spend the money to influence elections. Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 28 Sep. 2025 Lack of free and fair elections, with leaders manipulating the system to remain in power. Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025 But that doesn’t necessarily mean Reform will win at the next election. Simon Constable, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for election
Recent Examples of Synonyms for election
Noun
  • The company released a more expensive version of its subscription-fee offering in the EU in 2023, but was slapped with a €200 million ($232 million) fine in April after regulators argued the model still breached the bloc’s digital antitrust rules and didn’t offer users a genuine free choice.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Since then, what counts as a good (virtuous) choice versus a bad (unvirtuous) one has become less and less clearly defined.
    Sophia Rosenfeld September 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • For women with dense breasts, several options exist beyond standard mammography.
    Dr. Megha Gupta, ABC News, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Those cuts have left some families who had been hoping to join trials of new treatments scrambling to find other options.
    Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Other big stories ➤ David Schweikert's entrance into the Arizona governor's race has shaken up competition for the Republican nomination.
    Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 2 Oct. 2025
  • After all, a best new artist nomination or win still matters in the streaming era, particularly for those who aren’t household names.
    Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But the Democratic leadership is demanding an immediate extension to soon-to-expire Obamacare subsidies for their votes, saying Americans face a sharp rise in health care costs without them.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Last week, the measure failed on its first test in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to advance.
    Nik Popli, Time, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Helping clients 'divorce emotions from investment decisions' Parsons Capital Management is committed to treating its clients equally, as well, regardless of their financial standing, according to John Mullen.
    Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • After the decision, the LACSD stopped enforcing its own proper cause requirement for applications, per its website.
    Max Rego, The Hill, 1 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The way people typically die in intersections is often because of head-on and T-bone crashes, which the roundabout design addresses, Bryson said.
    Eric D. Lawrence, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
  • At the same time, there is a bit of a cost on the world stage to the way that the president presents the United States.
    ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The trash-bin selection is one of the key steps in the city’s fitful transition to paid trash service, nearly three years after city voters narrowly approved a ballot measure allowing the city to start charging for it after more than a century.
    Sam Schulz, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Sep. 2025
  • That inclusivity has been on display with the selections of both Lamar and Ocasio, the latter of whom Jay-Z praised in a statement tied to the announcement.
    Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Election.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/election. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on election

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