Electorate

/ɪˈlɛktəɹət/ · noun

Meaning

The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote..

Definitions by Sense

1. The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote.
2. (historical) The office, or area of dominion, of an Elector (“a German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”); an electorship.
3. (chiefly Australia, New Zealand) A geographical area represented by one or more elected officials; a constituency, an electoral district.

Example Sentences

The votes have been counted and the electorate has spoken.

Incoming governments normally announce that they will seek to serve the whole electorate. Now, playing out in triplicate across the UK is a "divide and rule" approach to leadership, straight from Donald Trump's playbook: each faction consolidating its base, choosing an enemy and accusing opponents of treason in the hope that in a multiparty system they can win with a minority of votes.

His cerebral candidacy, inspired by European and North American political and economic philosophers, and his very appearance, with his light-colored skin, trim physique and penchant for preppy sweaters, contrasted with an electorate largely made up of impoverished Quechua-speaking people and Spanish-speaking mestizos.

[I]n case Hanover should be attacked on the ground of a German quarrel, unconnected with English politics, we were not bound to defend her; yet, if a power at war with England should think fit to consider that electorate as part of the king's dominions, which perhaps according to the law of nations might be done, our honour must require that it should be defended against such an attack.

The line of demarcation [between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism] ran, as it still runs, through the midst of the Netherlands, of Germany, and of Switzerland, dividing province from province, electorate from electorate, and canton from canton.

[…] Brandenburg, emerging around what would become Berlin, acquired distinct status as an electorate in the mid-fourteenth century.

The electorate of Finchley borders on the electorate of Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, splitting the new housing estate of Royal Cupolas.

Synonyms for electorate

Antonyms for electorate

Related Words

Word Forms

• electorates

Usage Notes

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