candidate
noun
verb (used without object), can·di·dat·ed, can·di·dat·ing.
Origin of candidate
OTHER WORDS FROM candidate
can·di·da·cy [kan-di-duh-see] /ˈkæn dɪ də si/; Chiefly British, can·di·da·ture [kan-di-duh-cher] /ˈkæn dɪ də tʃər/, can·di·date·ship, noun pre·can·di·da·cy, noun pre·can·di·da·ture, nounWords nearby candidate
VOCAB BUILDER
What does candidate mean?
Candidate most commonly means someone who’s seeking to be elected, hired, or appointed to a position, especially a political office or job.
The word candidate most commonly refers to a politician seeking election or a person who has applied for a job. But it can be used in several other ways to refer to someone or something under consideration for some kind of treatment or status.
Example: We have more than 100 applicants, but almost none of them are qualified candidates for this job.
Where does candidate come from?
The word candidate comes from the Latin candidātus, meaning “clothed in white”—a reference to the fact that ancient Roman political candidates often wore white togas (or robes). The related word candid, meaning “outspoken or sincere,” comes from the Latin candidus, meaning “shining white.” The first recorded use of candidate in English comes from the 1600s.
Candidate has been used since then to refer to politicians running for office. Later, candidate began to be used in relation to academics, referring to a student pursuing a particular degree, such as a Ph.D. candidate. The word is commonly used today to mean someone who has applied for a job. Candidate can refer to any applicant for a job, but it is often specifically used for one who is seriously being considered for it.
Candidate can also be used in a more general way to refer to any person being considered for something, as in candidate for surgery (a person who may qualify to undergo a procedure) or candidate for promotion. But candidate isn’t only used for people—things can be candidates, too. For example, a particular expense might be considered a candidate for a budget cut, or a wine may be a candidate for a prize.
The word candidate is often used in the context of official decisions, but it doesn’t have to be. You could say that a movie is a candidate for your top 10 list, or you could tease your friend by saying they’re a candidate for Blockhead of the Year. (If we’re being candid, that seems like what most politicians are running for, too.)
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What are some other forms of candidate?
- candidacy (noun)
- candidateship (noun, primarily British)
- candidature (noun, primarily British)
- precandidacy (noun)
- precanditure (noun)
What are some synonyms for candidate?
What are some words that share a root or word element with candidate?
What are some words that often get used in discussing candidate?
What are some words candidate may be commonly confused with?
How is candidate used in real life?
Candidate is most often used in the context of running for political office or applying for a job.
Ask yourself this question. Which of the candidates running for President, win or lose, is going to keep fighting for you and the exact same issues and policy goals they are running on right now?
— Bad John Brown (@BadJohnBrown) October 8, 2019
Take-home design challenges are not a level playing field to evaluate job candidates in design. They are causing more challenges with hiring diverse candidates & tend to discourage highly qualified talent from continuing the process. Stop creating gates, start removing barriers.
— Nick Finck (@nickf) February 22, 2020
What’s happened to Paul George, last year he’s a MVP candidate now he can’t stay consistent..
— 𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓮 💜💛 (@LALPrime) February 25, 2020
Try using candidate!
Which of the following words can be a synonym for candidate?
A. associate
B. applicant
C. consideration
D. campaign