by-electionˈby-eˌlection, ˈbye-eˌlection noun [countable] 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
word sets- Every by-election from now on must be a Labour or Lib Dem victory.
- He said the party has a good record in recent by-elections and he was confident this success could be repeated.
- If the Tories lose every by-election, the odds change.
- In March 1918 Nina Boyle, offering herself as a test case, announced that she would stand in the Keighley by-election.
- November's by-election was to a large extent a media circus.
- Shortly after the appearance of the article in Marxism Today, Labour lost a by-election in Greenwich.
- This strategy must be explained clearly and positively to the public, and especially within by-election constituencies.
WORD SETS► Voting
Collocationsabstain, verbabstention, nounadopt, verbballot, nounballot box, nounballot paper, nounblackball, verbby-election, nouncasting vote, nouncloture, nounconstituency, nounconstituent, noundeliver, verbdeposit, noundeselect, verbdisenfranchise, verbdisfranchise, verbdivision, noundoorstep, verbdream ticket, nounelect, verbelection, nounelectioneering, nounelective, adjectiveelector, nounelectoral, adjectiveelectoral register, nounelectorate, nounenfranchise, verbexit poll, nounfloating voter, nounfranchise, noungeneral election, nounhung parliament, nounlobby, nounmajority, nounmotion, nounno, nounoff-year, nounopen primary, nounoutvote, verboverall majority, nounplebiscite, nounplurality, nounpocket veto, nounpoint of order, nounpoll, nounpolling, nounpolling booth, nounpolling day, nounpolling station, nounpollster, nounPR, nounprimary, nounprimary election, nounproportional representation, nounpsephology, nounrecount, nounre-elect, verbreferendum, nounresolution, nounresolve, verbreturn, verbreturning officer, nounrig, verbrun, verbrun-off, nounscrutineer, nounshow of hands, nounslate, nounsplit ticket, nounspoil, verbsponsor, nounsponsor, verbstalking horse, nounstraight ticket, nounstraw poll, nounstronghold, nounsuffrage, nountactical voting, nounteller, nounthree-line whip, nounvote, verbvote of censure, nounvote of confidence, nounvote of no confidence, nounvoter, nounvoting machine, nounward, nounwrite-in, nounX, nounyea, nounyes, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► parliamentary
especially British English a special election to replace a politician who has left parliament or died → general election· The pressure for cash was also viewed as a response to Labour's slump in a parliamentary by-election in Ceredigion last week.
NOUN► victory· He returned to Parliament after his by-election victory in Kensington and Chelsea last November.· Pasok by-election victory Pasok secured a convincing victory in a by-election in the Athens B district on April 5.
VERB► lose· If the Tories lose every by-election, the odds change.· Outside Westminster the government was losing support: eight seats were lost at by-elections in the first eighteen months of peace.· If the Tories lose the looming Christchurch by-election, a new Tory refrain of Major-Must-Go may reach fortissimo.
► win· In our original study, we assumed that Mr Major could hope to win roughly one by-election in three in Tory seats.· Mr Kim's ruling Democratic Liberal Party had easy wins in three by-elections.· During the 1983 - 7 Parliament two seats were won at by-elections but three were lost in the 1987 general election.· In 1961, I was fortunate enough to win a by-election in the constituency of Worcester.