- a person who is trying to be elected or is applying for a job
- a presidential candidate
- candidate for something one of the leading candidates for the presidency
- He is the best candidate for the job.
- (British English) She stood as a candidate in the local elections.
- The party is fielding more candidates than ever before.
- to nominate/select a candidate
- to endorse a candidate (= say you support them)
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 Working lifeb1- Our organization is putting up five candidates in the elections.
- Prospective parliamentary candidates met party leaders last week.
- She decided to stand as a candidate in the local elections.
- She was the only candidate for the post.
- The successful candidate will be fluent in French and German.
- There were no suitable candidates for the position.
- We rejected most of the candidates as unsuitable.
- The party intends to field a candidate in the next general election.
- There were a large number of candidates for the job.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- potential
- prospective
- likely
- …
- put yourself forward as
- stand as
- field
- …
- candidate for
- (British English) a person taking an exam
- Candidates are allowed to use dictionaries in this examination.
- We run special revision courses for examination candidates.
- candidate for something a candidate for the degree of MPhil
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- potential
- prospective
- likely
- …
- put yourself forward as
- stand as
- field
- …
- candidate for
- candidate (for something) a person or group that is considered suitable for something or that is likely to get something or to be something
- Our team is a prime candidate for relegation this year.
- Your father is an obvious candidate for a heart attack.
- She's a likely candidate for promotion.
- This is a prime candidate for best movie of the year.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- potential
- prospective
- likely
- …
- put yourself forward as
- stand as
- field
- …
- candidate for
Word Originearly 17th cent.: from Latin candidatus ‘white-robed’, also denoting a candidate for office (who traditionally wore a white toga), from candidus ‘white’.
Check pronunciation:
candidate