elect

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e·lect

(ĭ-lĕkt′)

tr.v. e·lect·ed, e·lect·ing, e·lects

1. To select by vote for an office or for membership: elected her club president.

2. To pick out; select: elect an art course.

3. To decide, especially by preference: elected to take the summer off.

4. To select by divine will for salvation. Used of God.

adj.

1. Chosen deliberately; singled out: an elect group of advisers.

a. Elected but not yet installed. Often used in combination: the governor-elect.

b. Chosen for marriage. Often used in combination: the bride-elect.

3. Selected by divine will for salvation.

1. One that is chosen or selected.

2. One selected by divine will for salvation.

3. (used with a pl. verb) An exclusive group of people. Used with the: one of the elect who have power inside the government.

[Middle English electen, from Latin ēligere, ēlēct-, to select : ē-, ex-, ex- + legere, to choose; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

elect

(ɪˈlɛkt)

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (tr) to choose (someone) to be (a representative or a public official) by voting: they elected him Mayor.

2. to select; choose: to elect to die rather than surrender.

3. (Theology) (tr) (of God) to select or predestine for the grace of salvation

adj

4. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) (immediately postpositive) voted into office but not yet installed: the president elect.

a. chosen or choice; selected or elite

b. (as collective noun; preceded by the): the elect.

6. (Ecclesiastical Terms) Christianity

a. selected or predestined by God to receive salvation; chosen

b. (as collective noun; preceded by the): the elect.

[C15: from Latin ēligere to select, from legere to choose]

eˈlectable adj

eˌlectaˈbility n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

e•lect

(ɪˈlɛkt)

v.t.

1. to choose or select by vote, as for an office: to elect a mayor.

2. to determine in favor of (a method, course of action, etc.).

3. to choose (a course of study).

4. (of God) to select for divine mercy or favor, esp. for salvation.

v.i.

5. to choose or select someone or something, as by voting.

adj.

6. selected for an office, but not yet inducted (usu. used in combination): the governor-elect.

7. select or choice: an elect circle of artists.

8. chosen by God, esp. for eternal life.

9. the elect or elected,

a. persons chosen or worthy to be chosen.

b. a person or persons chosen by God, esp. for favor or salvation.

[1250–1300; Middle English < Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligere to select, pick out =ē- e- + -ligere, comb. form of legere to gather]

e•lect′a•ble, adj.

e•lect`a•bil′i•ty, n.

e•lec•tee (ɪ lɛkˈti) n.

elect

1. used as a verb

Elect is usually a verb. When people elect someone, they choose that person to represent them, by voting for them.

They met to elect a president.

Why should we elect him Mayor?

You could be elected as an MP.

Be Careful!
You only say that someone is elected when they are chosen by voting. If they are chosen in some other way, you use another word such as appoint, choose, select, or pick.

See choose

2. used as an adjective

Elect is sometimes added after words such as president or governor to indicate that someone has been appointed to a post but has not officially started to carry out their duties. When elect has this meaning, it is only used immediately after a noun.

...the President elect.

Be Careful!
You do not use 'elect' as an adjective simply to say that someone has been elected by voting. Instead you use elected in front of a noun.

...a democratically elected government.

...the newly elected president.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

elect

Past participle: elected
Gerund: electing

Imperative
elect
elect

Present
I elect
you elect
he/she/it elects
we elect
you elect
they elect

Preterite
I elected
you elected
he/she/it elected
we elected
you elected
they elected

Present Continuous
I am electing
you are electing
he/she/it is electing
we are electing
you are electing
they are electing

Present Perfect
I have elected
you have elected
he/she/it has elected
we have elected
you have elected
they have elected

Past Continuous
I was electing
you were electing
he/she/it was electing
we were electing
you were electing
they were electing

Past Perfect
I had elected
you had elected
he/she/it had elected
we had elected
you had elected
they had elected

Future
I will elect
you will elect
he/she/it will elect
we will elect
you will elect
they will elect

Future Perfect
I will have elected
you will have elected
he/she/it will have elected
we will have elected
you will have elected
they will have elected

Future Continuous
I will be electing
you will be electing
he/she/it will be electing
we will be electing
you will be electing
they will be electing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been electing
you have been electing
he/she/it has been electing
we have been electing
you have been electing
they have been electing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been electing
you will have been electing
he/she/it will have been electing
we will have been electing
you will have been electing
they will have been electing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been electing
you had been electing
he/she/it had been electing
we had been electing
you had been electing
they had been electing

Conditional
I would elect
you would elect
he/she/it would elect
we would elect
you would elect
they would elect

Past Conditional
I would have elected
you would have elected
he/she/it would have elected
we would have elected
you would have elected
they would have elected

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	elect - an exclusive group of people; "one of the elect who have power inside the government" chosen elite, elite group - a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status
Verb	1.	elect - select by a vote for an office or membership; "We elected him chairman of the board" choose, pick out, select, take - pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives; "Take any one of these cards"; "Choose a good husband for your daughter"; "She selected a pair of shoes from among the dozen the salesgirl had shown her" co-opt - choose or elect as a fellow member or colleague; "The church members co-opted individuals from similar backgrounds to replenish the congregation" reelect, return - elect again
	2.	elect - choose; "I elected to have my funds deposited automatically" choose, pick out, select, take - pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives; "Take any one of these cards"; "Choose a good husband for your daughter"; "She selected a pair of shoes from among the dozen the salesgirl had shown her"
Adj.	1.	elect - selected as the best; "an elect circle of artists"; "elite colleges" elite selected - chosen in preference to another
	2.	elect - elected but not yet installed in office; "the president elect" incoming - arriving at a place or position; "incoming class"; "incoming mail"

elect

verb

1. vote for, choose, pick, determine, select, appoint, opt for, designate, pick out, settle on, decide upon The people have voted to elect a new president.

2. choose, decide, prefer, select, opt Those electing to smoke will be seated at the rear.

adjective

1. selected, chosen, picked, choice, preferred, select, elite, of choice, hand-picked one of the elect few permitted to enter

2. future, to-be, coming, next, appointed, designate, prospective the date when the president-elect takes office

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

elect

verb

1. To select by vote for an office:

ballot, vote (in).

2. To make a choice from a number of alternatives:

choose, cull, opt (for), pick (out), select, single (out).

adjective

Singled out in preference:

choice, chosen, exclusive, select.

noun

One that is selected:

choice, chosen, pick, select.

Translations

مُنْتَخَب، مُخْتاريَخْتاريَنْتَخِبيَنْتَخِبُ

volit

vælgedesignerettiltrædende

wählen zukünftig entscheiden küren

εκλέγω

elegir electo decidir designar

päättäätulevavalitavalita vaalillavastavalittu

élire élu opter adopter choisir

birati

megválaszt

kjósanÿkjörinn, verîandivelja, kjósa sér

eleggere eletta elezioni nominare nominato

選挙する

선출하다

apsispręstiišrinktasišrinktirinkėjųrinkimai

ievēlētievēlētsizvēlētiesvēlēts

verkiezen

velge

postanowić wybierać wybrać

eleger

выбирать избирать избрать

voliťzvolený

voliti

väljavald

คัดเลือก

seçmek karar vermek seçilmişseçimi kazanmış

bầutân cử

推选选举选定的选择

elect

[ɪˈlekt]

A. VT

1. (Pol etc) → elegir (to para) he was elected chairman → fue elegido presidente

2. (= choose) → elegir
he elected to remain → eligió quedarse

B. ADJ (after noun) → electo
the president elect → el/la presidente/a electo/a

C. N the elect → los elegidos, los predestinados

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

elect

[ɪˈlɛkt]

(by voting) → élire
to elect sb as sth, to elect sb sth → élire qn qch
to be elected sth [+ leader, principal] → être élu(e) qch

(= choose) to elect to do sth → choisir de faire qch

adj → désigné(e)
the president elect → le futur président

elect

(by vote) → wählen; he was elected chairman/MP → er wurde zum Vorsitzenden/Abgeordneten gewählt; to elect somebody to the Senate → jdn in den Senat wählen

(= choose) → (er)wählen, sich entscheiden für; to elect to do something → sich dafür entscheiden, etw zu tun; to elect French nationality → sich für die französische Staatsangehörigkeit entscheiden

adj the president elect → der designierte or künftige Präsident

pl (esp Rel) the elect → die Auserwählten pl

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

elect

[ɪˈlɛkt]

1. vt

a. (Pol) to elect (to) → eleggere (a)
he was elected chairman → è stato eletto presidente

b. to elect to do (decide) → decidere or scegliere di fare
he elected to remain → ha deciso di restare

2. adj → futuro/a
the president elect → il presidente designato

elect

(iˈlekt) verb

1. to choose by vote. He was elected chairman; elected to the committee.

2. to choose (to do something). They elected to go by taxi.

adjective

(placed immediately after noun) chosen for office but not yet in it. the president elect.

eˈlection (-ʃən) noun

the choosing, or choice, (usually by vote) of person(s) for office. When do the elections take place?; He is standing for election again.

eˌlectioˈneer (-ʃə-) verb

to work to bring about the election of a candidate.

eˈlector noun

a person who has the right to vote at an election. Not all the electors bothered to vote.

eˈlectoral adjective

of elections or electors. The names of all electors are listed in the electoral roll.

eˈlectorate (-rət) noun

all electors taken together. Half of the electorate did not vote.

elect

→ يَنْتَخِبُ volit vælge wählen εκλέγω elegir valita vaalilla élire birati eleggere 選挙する 선출하다 verkiezen velge wybrać eleger избирать välja คัดเลือก seçmek bầu 推选

elect

vt. elegir, escoger.

References in classic literature ?

But now in this government of Plato's there are no traces of a monarchy, only of an oligarchy and democracy; though he seems to choose that it should rather incline to an oligarchy, as is evident from the appointment of the magistrates; for to choose them by lot is common to both; but that a man of fortune must necessarily be a member of the assembly, or to elect the magistrates, or take part in the management of public affairs, while others are passed over, makes the state incline to an oligarchy; as does the endeavouring that the greater part of the rich may be in office, and that the rank of their appointments may correspond with their fortunes.

There will also great danger arise from the manner of electing the senate, when those who are elected themselves are afterwards to elect others; for by this means, if a certain number choose to combine together, though not very considerable, the election will always fall according to their pleasure.

View in context

Only can he be blamed for the election of Julius the Second, in whom he made a bad choice, because, as is said, not being able to elect a Pope to his own mind, he could have hindered any other from being elected Pope; and he ought never to have consented to the election of any cardinal whom he had injured or who had cause to fear him if they became pontiffs.

If he could not have made Pope him whom he wished, at least the one whom he did not wish would not have been elected. But if he had been in sound health at the death of Alexander,[*] everything would have been different to him.

View in context

The truth is, that there is no method of securing to the rich the preference apprehended, but by prescribing qualifications of property either for those who may elect or be elected.

View in context

It was proposed to elect as marshal in place of Snetkov either Sviazhsky, or, better still, Nevyedovsky, a former university professor, a man of remarkable intelligence and a great friend of Sergey Ivanovitch.

View in context

I asked them if they supposed a nation of people ever existed, who, with a free vote in every man's hand, would elect that a single family and its descendants should reign over it forever, whether gifted or boobies, to the exclusion of all other families -- including the voter's; and would also elect that a certain hundred families should be raised to dizzy summits of rank, and clothed on with offensive trans- missible glories and privileges to the exclusion of the rest of the nation's families -- INCLUDING HIS OWN.

View in context

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

View in context

THE People being dissatisfied with a Democratic Legislature, which stole no more than they had, elected a Republican one, which not only stole all they had but exacted a promissory note for the balance due, secured by a mortgage upon their hope of death.

View in context

Wherefore he was held in high reverence, and when the two other gentlemen were hanged for lying the Theosophists elected him to the leadership of their Disastral Body, and after a quiet life and an honourable death by the kick of a jackass he was reincarnated as a Yellow Dog.

View in context

Were the precaution taken of excluding from the assemblies elected by the people, to revise the preceding administration of the government, all persons who should have been concerned with the government within the given period, the difficulties would not be obviated.

View in context

Never did Harley or Villa feed Jerry; yet it was to them he elected to belong, them he elected to love and serve rather than to the Japanese steward who regularly fed him.

View in context

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