Elector

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪˈlɛktə/

Definitions

1. A person eligible to participate in decision-making through voting
2. An individual who has the legal right to cast a vote in an election or selection process
3. Someone authorized by law or regulations to choose candidates or decide outcomes in a voting event

Etymology: The Latin verb "ēligere" began as a gardening image. Its core sense was "to pluck out" or "root out," built from "ex-" (here shortened to "ē-", meaning "out") and "legere," "to gather." Choosing something meant picking it out of a bunch, and from that physical act the Romans developed the figurative sense "to choose, select." From that verb came Late Latin "ēlēctor," meaning "chooser" or "selector," which also came to mean a voter. English borrowed the word as Middle English "electour," meaning someone with a right to vote in electing an officer. The spelling later shifted toward the Latin form, giving us "elector." The modern sense of a qualified voting citizen keeps the core idea of selection: the elector is the one doing the picking. The word's ancestry is also visible in its relatives, "elect" and "election," which share the same Latin verb.

Synonyms: voter, selecter, chooser, nominator, delegate

Antonyms: candidate, nonvoter, loser, appointee, selected