electorate
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
all the people in a country or region who are allowed to vote.
the entire body of people qualified to vote in a given election or jurisdiction.
Simple“The candidate is trying to win over the younger part of the electorate.”
In context“Political analysts observed a significant shift in the electorate's priorities following the sudden economic downturn in the third quarter.”
UsageUsually takes a singular verb, though it refers to a group of people.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a specific area that is represented by an elected official.
a geographical area or constituency represented by an elected member of parliament.
Simple“He has lived in this electorate for over twenty years and knows the local issues well.”
In context“The boundaries of the electorate were redrawn to account for the rapid population growth in the western suburbs.”
UsagePrimarily used in Australia and New Zealand to mean 'constituency'.
Teacher's tipIn American English, 'district' is used; in British English, 'constituency' is standard. This sense is specific to Australian and New Zealand English.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
the land or the position of a prince in the old Holy Roman Empire who helped choose the Emperor.
the territory or dignity of an Elector in the Holy Roman Empire.
Simple“The Electorate of Hanover was an important territory in the eighteenth century.”
In context“The Golden Bull of 1356 formally defined the seven electorates whose rulers held the right to choose the King of the Romans.”
UsageUsed almost exclusively in historical contexts regarding European history.
Synonymsprincipalityelectorship
“With an electorate of 211 Fifa members the rebels are far from certain they are close enough to getting the 106 votes required to oust Infantino.”
“They’re 50,000 of an electorate that has had its views skewed and its votes taken for granted time and time again.”
From elector (“person eligible to vote in an election; German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”) + -ate (forms nouns denoting a rank or office, the concrete charge of it).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.