psephology
noun
pse·phol·o·gy sē-ˈfä-lə-jē 
: the scientific study of elections
psephological
ˌsē-fə-ˈlä-ji-kəl
adjective psephologist
sē-ˈfä-lə-jist
noun 
Did you know?
Psephology is from the Greek word psēphos, meaning "pebble." (One relative of psephology is psephomancy, meaning "divination by pebbles.") Psephology merited election as the name for the work of analysts of elections, or psephologists, because pebbles were used by the ancient Greeks in voting. Similarly, the word ballot was an excellent choice for a means of voting since it is derived from balla, the Italian word for "ball," and Italians placed balls in a container to cast votes.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Jill Lepore on election predictions then and now; Blinkist and Ghislaine Maxwell; Black votes in Florida; Wisconsin’s cookie psephology; Shepard Smith’s new gig. 
Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 In fact, people who have been in psephology for 50 years have never seen a party come from the mid-20s to the high 30s in a space of three weeks. Sarah Jaffe, New Republic, 5 June 2017
Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2021 In fact, people who have been in psephology for 50 years have never seen a party come from the mid-20s to the high 30s in a space of three weeks. Sarah Jaffe, New Republic, 5 June 2017 Word History
Etymology
Greek psēphos pebble, ballot, vote; from the use of pebbles by the ancient Greeks in voting
First Known Use
1952, in the meaning defined above
- orthographers
- orthographic
- orthographic projection
- orthographical
- orthographically
- orthographies
- orthographist
- orthographists
- orthographize
- orthographs
- orthography
- orthohexagonal axes
- orthokinesis
- orthometopic
- orthometric
- orthometry
- orthomolecular
- Orthomorpha
- orthomorphic
- orthomorphism
- orthomyxovirus
- orthomyxoviruses
- Orthonectida
- orthonon
- orthonormal