Word of the Day: November 3, 2026
Candidate
nounKAN-duh-dayt
What It Means
- A candidate is someone who aspires to or is nominated or qualified for an office, membership, or award. Candidate may also refer to someone likely or suited to undergo or be chosen for something specified (as in “a candidate for surgery”), or to a student in the process of meeting final requirements for a degree (as in “a PhD candidate”).
- // The hiring team will select the best candidate for the job.
- See the entry
Candidate in Context
“Voters can choose up to three of the candidates on their ballot.” — Mary Ramsey, The Charlotte (North Carolina) Observer, 14 Feb. 2026
Vocab Builder:Candidate
1 of 3
Which word is closest in meaning to candidate?
A.
Contender
B.
Incumbent
C.
Applicant
Did You Know?
When a man running for public office in ancient Rome greeted voters in the Forum, the center of judicial and public business, he wore a toga that had been whitened with chalk. As a result, the Latin word for someone seeking office came to be candidātus, meaning literally “clothed in white.” Candidātus, in turn, comes from the adjective candidus, meaning “white.” Candidātus was adopted into English as candidate, and since the 17th century that word has had an uncontested seat in the language.
