elect

1 of 3

adjective

1
: carefully selected : chosen
2
: chosen for salvation through divine mercy
3
a
: chosen for office or position but not yet installed
the president-elect
b
: chosen for marriage at some future time
the bride-elect

elect

2 of 3

noun

plural elect
1
: one chosen or set apart (as by divine favor)
2
elects plural : a select or exclusive group of people

elect

3 of 3

verb

elected; electing; elects

transitive verb

1
: to select by vote for an office, position, or membership
elected her class president
2
: to make a selection of
will elect an academic program
3
: to choose (something, such as a course of action) especially by preference
might elect to sell the business

intransitive verb

: to make a selection

Examples of elect in a Sentence

Adjective this elect body of students represents the best that the nation's high schools have to offer Noun the members of this all-American team are the elect of collegiate football Verb He hopes to be elected to the committee. I've elected to study French as my foreign language.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
And a little more than half the country will call him crazy and re-elect President Obama. Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 19 Aug. 2011 But, proving that ticket-splitting is alive and well in New Hampshire, four out of five voters also opted to re-elect Republican Gov. Chris Sununu. Katie McInerney, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Nov. 2022 The National Rifle Association’s board of directors voted Monday to re-elect longtime CEO Wayne LaPierre, signaling that the gun rights group isn’t changing direction despite a rise in mass shootings and its own internal turmoil. David Ingram, NBC News, 30 May 2022 The illusion of complete normality could prompt people to spend more and re-elect current politicians for office. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022 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 And it’s one of those moments when any leader expecting to slide into re-elect mode as early as November of next year starts to get worried. Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Aug. 2021
Noun
Ross said the key issue is whether the new map creates a second district where Black voters would have an opportunity elect a candidate of their choice, as instructed by the court. Mike Cason | McAson@al.com, al, 14 Aug. 2023 Not every player named an All-Star elects to or is able to participate, so Estévez’s other chance might be a selection as a replacement. Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2023 Shopping at Monterey Market means living right by living well, being among the good-values elect. Daniel Duane, New York Times, 30 May 2023 With such concerns in mind, GrowSF, an advocacy group started in 2020 by two software engineers who left tech jobs to launch it, focuses on public safety and helping elect officials who will crack down on things like property crime and open-air drug bazaars. Olga R. Rodriguez, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2023 As ever, the vast majority elect to donate the full sum to the cause in question. Condé Nast, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2023 Where the profession of artist is obviated—save for the elect few—because the product is ultimately privileged over the person. Vivian Lam, WIRED, 24 Feb. 2023 Many injuries and few match opportunities have left the expensive winger frozen out at the La Liga champion elect. Henry Flynn, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2022 What’s clear enough is that Tár is a member of the cultural elect. Becca Rothfeld, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2023
Verb
More recently, Ohio has been bucking national trends for several cycles, electing Republicans to all six statewide offices and giving the party big majorities in both chambers of the legislature. Ron Elving, NPR, 23 Mar. 2024 Faye did not specify what role his key ally Sonko would play in his government if elected. Nimi Princewill, CNN, 23 Mar. 2024 Students whose parents elected to keep them home for the day did not have the absence counted against them. Nick Sullivan, The Arizona Republic, 22 Mar. 2024 Supporters of electing the assessor say the position should be directly accountable to voters. Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Langley served as an assistant city attorney for 13 years before he was elected to the top post in 1984. Daniel Bice, Journal Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2024 Willie and John were both elected to the Assembly the same year. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 The locations are stand-ins for Brooklyn, New York, and Washington D.C., all key places in the life of Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 How many people even know Lara’s name, even though he was elected twice? John Seiler, Orange County Register, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'elect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Latin electus, past participle of eligere to select, from e- + legere to choose — more at legend

Verb

Middle English, from Latin electus

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of elect was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near elect

Cite this Entry

“Elect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elect. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

elect

1 of 3 adjective
1
: carefully selected
2
: chosen for office but not yet holding office
president-elect

elect

2 of 3 noun plural
: a carefully chosen group
used with the

elect

3 of 3 verb
1
: to select by vote for an office, position, or membership
elect a senator
2
: select entry 1, choose
we elected to stay home

Legal Definition

elect

transitive verb
1
: to select by vote for an office, position, or membership
2
: to make a selection of
elected her statutory share over the gift under the will

intransitive verb

: to choose an elective share
the right of a spouse to elect against the will

More from Merriam-Webster on elect

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!