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candidate

n.
US //ˈkændədeɪt// UK //kˈændɪdˌeɪt// can·di·date
  1. 1 job or election (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Politics

    a person who is competing for a job or trying to be elected to a position.

    a person who seeks or is nominated for an office, position, or membership in an organisation.

    Example

    The company interviewed five candidates for the manager position.

    Example

    The presidential candidate spent the final week of the campaign touring the swing states to secure undecided voters.
  2. 2 exam taker (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate British English Education

    a person who is taking an examination or test.

    an individual who is being formally assessed or examined, particularly in an academic or professional context.

    Example

    Candidates must show their ID cards before entering the exam hall.

    Example

    The invigilator reminded the candidates that any attempt to communicate during the examination would result in immediate disqualification.
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  1. 3 likely choice (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    someone or something that seems suitable for a specific purpose or likely to experience something.

    a person or thing regarded as suitable for or likely to undergo a particular fate or treatment.

    Example

    This old bridge is a prime candidate for repair work next year.

    Example

    Given its history of financial instability, the small airline was considered a likely candidate for a takeover by a larger competitor.
  2. 4 advanced student (n.)
    C1 Advanced Academic Formal Education

    a student who has finished their classes but is still working on a final project like a dissertation.

    a student who has completed all requirements for a doctoral degree except for the dissertation.

    Example

    As a PhD candidate, she spends most of her time in the laboratory.

    Example

    The department provides a shared office space for doctoral candidates who are in the final stages of writing their dissertations.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'doctoral candidate'.
    • doctoral student
Etymology 1

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).

Etymology 2

From Latin candidātus (“dressed in white”, adjective); see Etymology 1 for further derivations. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Word family

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