ENGLISH
REFERENCE

elect

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ɪˈɫɛkt// UK //ɪlˈɛkt// elect General-service

n. chosen for a job or position but not yet officially started. You use this after the name of the job, like 'the president-elect'.

n. chosen for a position through an election but not yet inaugurated or in office. Postpositive in placement — it follows the noun it modifies.


SIMPLE

The president-elect is preparing for the new job.

CONTEXTUAL

The governor-elect spent the weeks before the ceremony meeting with current staff to ensure a smooth transition.

COMPLEX

While the president-elect holds no formal executive power until the inauguration, their public statements often begin to influence national policy and market confidence immediately after the vote.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend. Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek rather than Latin, hence prefix ἐκ (ek), rather than e- (from ex).

Usage

Postpositive adjective — it must be placed immediately after the noun it modifies (e.g., 'the bishop-elect').

Pitfall

the elect presidentthe president-electIn this sense, the word must follow the noun it describes rather than coming before it.

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