elect
verb /ɪˈlekt/
/ɪˈlekt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they elect | /ɪˈlekt/ /ɪˈlekt/ |
| he / she / it elects | /ɪˈlekts/ /ɪˈlekts/ |
| past simple elected | /ɪˈlektɪd/ /ɪˈlektɪd/ |
| past participle elected | /ɪˈlektɪd/ /ɪˈlektɪd/ |
| -ing form electing | /ɪˈlektɪŋ/ /ɪˈlektɪŋ/ |
- to choose somebody to do a particular job by voting for them
- elect somebody/something Voters will elect a new president on 30 March next year.
- the newly/democratically elected government
- an elected representative/official/assembly
- What changes will he make if he gets elected?
- elect somebody to something She became the first black woman to be elected to the Senate.
- elect somebody (as) something He was elected (as) MP for Oxford East.
- The party first elected her leader in 2017.
Collocations Voting in electionsVoting in electionsRunning for election- conduct/hold an election/a referendum
- (especially North American English) run for office/election/governor/mayor/president/the White House
- (especially British English) stand for election/office/Parliament/the Labour Party/a second term
- hold/call/contest a general/national election
- launch/run a presidential election campaign
- support/back a candidate
- sway/convince/persuade voters/the electorate
- appeal to/attract/woo/target (North American English) swing voters/(British English) floating voters
- fix/rig/steal an election/the vote
- go to/be turned away from (especially British English) a polling station/(North American English) a polling place
- cast a/your vote/ballot (for somebody)
- vote for the Conservative candidate/the Democratic party
- mark/spoil your ballot paper
- count (British English) the postal votes/(especially North American English) the absentee ballots
- go to/be defeated at the ballot box
- get/win/receive/lose votes
- get/win (60% of) the popular/black/Hispanic/Latino/Muslim vote
- win the election/(in the US) the primaries/a seat in Parliament/a majority/power
- lose an election/the vote/your majority/your seat
- win/come to power in a landslide (victory) (= with many more votes than any other party)
- elect/re-elect somebody (as) mayor/president/an MP/senator/congressman/congresswoman
- be sworn into office/in as president
- take/administer (in the US) the oath of office
- swear/take (in the UK) an/the oath of allegiance
- give/deliver (in the US) the president’s inaugural address
- take/enter/hold/leave office
- appoint somebody (as) ambassador/governor/judge/minister
- form a government/a cabinet
- serve two terms as prime minister/in office
Extra ExamplesTopics Politicsb2- Five were successful, three being elected unopposed.
- He was elected to Parliament in 1997.
- It was decided that the president should be elected directly in free elections.
- Members of the council are elected annually.
- She has been elected to Parliament.
- They make their own rules and elect their own leaders.
- Each officer shall be elected for one term of two years.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- annually
- locally
- nationally
- …
- to
- be elected
- get elected
- be declared elected
- …
- elect to do something (formal) to choose to do something
- Increasing numbers of people elect to work from home nowadays.
- Several of the tenants have elected to move to smaller premises.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Latin elect- ‘picked out’, from the verb eligere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out’ + legere ‘to pick’.