candidate

can·di·date

UK/ˈkæn.dɪ.deɪt/ US/ˈkandɪdɛjt/ common

noun

a politician who is running for public office

Synonyms

someone who is considered for something (for an office or prize or honor etc.)

Synonyms

prospect

Origin

From Latin candidātus (“a person who is standing for public office”, noun), from candidus (“dazzling white, shining, clear”) + -ātus, -āta, -ātum (participial adjective-forming suffix), in reference to Roman candidates wearing bleached white togas as a symbol of purity at a public forum. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

Phrases

candidate key
captive candidate
darkhorse candidate
Manchurian candidate
nuisance candidate
paper candidate
parachute candidate
private candidate

Related words

Word family

campaign

Broader terms

Narrower terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.