elect
v. · adj. · n.-
1 to choose by voting (v.) B1 Intermediateto choose someone for an official position by voting for them.
to select a candidate for public office or a position of authority through a formal voting process.
ExampleThe citizens will elect a new mayor in the upcoming November election.
ExampleThe local community voted to elect a representative who promised to prioritise environmental conservation and urban infrastructure overhauls.
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2 to choose to do something (v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Formalto decide to do something or choose a particular option.
to make a deliberate choice or decision to pursue a specific course of action.
ExampleMany students elect to take a gap year before starting their university studies.
ExampleThe defendant may elect to remain silent during the trial, a right protected under the constitutional framework of the legal system.
Usageoften followed by an infinitive verb ('to do')
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3 chosen but not yet in office (adj.) B2 Upper Intermediatedescribes someone who has won an election but has not officially started their new job yet.
designating a person who has been elected to a position but has not yet been inaugurated or assumed office.
ExampleThe president-elect is currently busy choosing the people for her new team.
ExampleThe governor-elect spent the transition period meeting with outgoing officials to ensure a seamless transfer of administrative responsibilities.
Usagealways placed immediately after the noun it describes
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4 the chosen ones (n.) C1 Advanced Formal Religiona group of people who have been specially chosen, often for a religious or elite reason.
a group of persons considered as being specially chosen or set apart, particularly those predestined for salvation in theological contexts.
ExampleIn some old traditions, people believed only the elect would go to heaven.
ExampleThe doctrine suggests that the elect are chosen through divine grace rather than through their own individual actions or merits.
Usageusually used with 'the' as a collective noun
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).