2 N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] The election of a particular person or group of people is their success in winning an election. □ [+ of ] …the election of the Labour government in 1964. □ [+as ] …his election as president. □ The Democrat candidate is the favorite to win election. COLLOCATIONS election NOUN 1
adjective + election : federal, mayoral, municipal, parliamentary, presidential; local, national, primary; forthcoming, upcoming; free and fair
verb + election : call, hold; contest, fight; lose, win SYNONYMS election NOUN 1
vote: Why do you think we should have a vote on that?
the polls: The polls have closed in the Pakistan parliamentary elections.
ballot: The result of the ballot will not be known for two weeks.
referendum: Estonia said it too planned to hold a referendum on independence.
show of hands: Parliamentary leaders agreed to take all such decisions by a show of hands.
elec|tion|eer|ing / I le kʃən I ə r I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Electioneering is the activities that politicians and their supporters carry out in order to persuade people to vote for them or their political party in an election, for example making speeches and visiting voters.
elec|tive / I le kt I v/ (electives )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An elective post or committee is one to which people are appointed as a result of winning an election. [FORMAL ] □ Buchanan has never held elective office.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Elective surgery is surgery that you choose to have before it becomes essential. [FORMAL ]
3 N‑COUNT An elective is a subject which a student can choose to study as part of his or her course. [AM ] in BRIT, use option
elec|tor / I le ktə r / (electors )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] An elector is a person who has the right to vote in an election.
2 N‑COUNT An elector is a member of the electoral college. People vote for electors in each state to represent them in the presidential elections. [AM ]
elec|tor|al ◆◇◇ / I le ktərəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Electoral is used to describe things that are connected with elections. □ The Mongolian Democratic Party is campaigning for electoral reform. □ …Italy's electoral system of proportional representation. ● elec|tor|al|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed, ADV after v] □ He believed that the policies were both wrong and electorally disastrous.
ele c|tor|al co l|lege N‑SING The electoral college is the system that is used in the United States in presidential elections. The electors in the electoral college act as representatives for each state, and they elect the president and vice-president. [AM ]
ele c|tor|al re g|is|ter (electoral registers ) N‑COUNT An electoral register is an official list of all the people who have the right to vote in an election. [BRIT ] □ Many students are not on the electoral register.
ele c|tor|al ro ll (electoral rolls ) N‑COUNT An electoral roll is the same as an electoral register . [BRIT ]
elec|tor|ate / I le ktərət/ (electorates ) N‑COUNT [with sing or pl verb] The electorate of a country or area is all the people in it who have the right to vote in an election. □ He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.
elec|tric ◆◇◇ / I le ktr I k/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] An electric device or machine works by means of electricity, rather than using some other source of power. □ …her electric guitar.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] An electric current, voltage, or charge is one that is produced by electricity.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Electric plugs, sockets, or power lines are designed to carry electricity.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Electric is used to refer to the supply of electricity. [INFORMAL ] □ An average electric bill might go up $2 or $3 per month.
5 ADJ If you describe the atmosphere of a place or event as electric , you mean that people are in a state of great excitement. □ The mood in the hall was electric.
elec|tri|cal / I le ktr I k ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Electrical goods, equipment, or appliances work by means of electricity. □ …shipments of electrical equipment. □ …electrical appliances. ● elec|tri|cal|ly / I le ktr I kli/ ADV [ADV -ed] □ …electrically-powered vehicles.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Electrical systems or parts supply or use electricity.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Electrical energy is energy in the form of electricity. ● elec|tri|cal|ly ADV [usu ADV adj/-ed, ADV with v] □ …electrically-charged particles. □ The researchers stimulated the muscle electrically.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] Electrical industries, engineers, or workers are involved in the production and supply of electricity or electrical goods.
ele c|tri|cal en|gi|nee r (electrical engineers ) N‑COUNT An electrical engineer is a person who uses scientific knowledge to design, construct, and maintain electrical devices.
ele c|tri|cal en|gi|nee r|ing N‑UNCOUNT Electrical engineering is the designing, constructing, and maintenance of electrical devices.
ele c|tric bla n|ket (electric blankets ) N‑COUNT An electric blanket is a blanket with wires inside it which carry an electric current that keeps the blanket warm.
ele c|tric blue also electric-blue COLOUR Something that is electric blue is very bright blue in colour.
ele c|tric chai r (electric chairs ) N‑COUNT The electric chair is a method of killing criminals, used especially in the United States, in which a person is strapped to a special chair and killed by a powerful electric current.