candidate
/ˈkandɪdeɪt
/ /ˈkandɪdət/noun
1A person who applies for a job or is nominated for election: candidates applying for this position should be computer-literate the Green Party candidate...
- He was an unsuccessful candidate in the general election and he came knocking at my door for my vote.
- I suppose that it was also a good year for many independent candidates in the general election.
- It is a chance for general election candidates to make a practical difference.
Synonyms
applicant, job applicant, job-seeker, prospective employee;
contender, contestant, nominee, aspirant, possibility, possible;
interviewee;
postulant, suitor, pretender
informal runner
1.1British A person taking an examination: an A-level candidate...
- It also claims this will also permit it to return copies of marked scripts to schools and candidates.
- The writer is a doctoral candidate in Teacher Development at the University of Toronto.
- Examiners and candidates have to manage these hybrid discourses within their conversation.
Synonyms
examinee, entrant
1.2A person or thing regarded as suitable for or likely to receive a particular fate, treatment, or position: she was the perfect candidate for a biography...
- Sildenafil was originally identified as a candidate for the treatment of angina.
- The young soft calf is a likely candidate for respiratory disease if mismanaged.
- Woods Snr, it has to be said, has never been a likely candidate for the diplomatic service.
Synonyms
prospect
informal bet
Origin
Early 17th century: from Latin candidatus 'white-robed', also denoting a candidate for office (who traditionally wore a white toga), from candidus 'white'.