to choose or select by vote, as for an office.
to elect a mayor.
to determine in favor of (a method, course of action, etc.).
to pick out; choose.
First-year students may elect French, Spanish, or German.
Theology. (of God) to select for divine mercy or favor, especially for salvation.
selected, as for an office, but not yet inducted (usually used in combination following a noun).
the governor-elect.
select or choice.
an elect circle of artists.
Theology. chosen by God, especially for eternal life.
a person or the persons chosen or worthy to be chosen.
Theology. a person or persons chosen by God, especially for favor or salvation.
electric.
electrical.
electrician.
electricity.
(tr) to choose (someone) to be (a representative or a public official) by voting
they elected him Mayor
to select; choose
to elect to die rather than surrender
(tr) (of God) to select or predestine for the grace of salvation
(immediately postpositive) voted into office but not yet installed
the president elect
chosen or choice; selected or elite
( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the elect
Christianity
selected or predestined by God to receive salvation; chosen
( as collective noun; preceded by the )
the elect
See choose.
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Latin ēlēctus “chosen” (past participle of ēligere ), equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + leg- “choose” + -tus past participle suffix; see e- 1, elite
To elect is to choose. A group of citizens may elect the next president, or you may just elect to stay home during the blizzard. Most famously, in the political sense, elect means to choose a person for public office, usually via an election. It also means to choose a particular course in life of major consequence. You probably don't elect to drink Pepsi over Coke, but you do elect to study a particular major at college, or sign up for military service.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Buyers can elect to continue the income over a spouse’s lifetime and add a death benefit for other heirs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
In April, the court sharply limited a part of those protections that had forced states to draw voting districts to help elect Black or Latino representatives to Congress, as well as state and local boards.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Without equal citizenship, equal voting rights, and equal opportunity to elect representatives of one’s choice, republican government was an impossibility.
From Slate • Jun. 3, 2026
New Jersey tends to elect Democratic governors while Texas has elected Republicans for decades.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Instead, she said, “I’m working on the campaign to elect Shirley Chisholm to be the first black congresswoman.”
From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
