electorate
electorate Lexical Profile
electorate Game Scores & Validity
• noun
All the people in a country, state, or designated area who are legally entitled to vote in an election.
"The candidate promised to lower taxes in an effort to appeal to a broader segment of the electorate."
Australian A geographical electoral district or division represented by a member of parliament.
"The local member spent the week visiting small businesses across her rural electorate."
The territory, jurisdiction, or official rank of an elector in the historical Holy Roman Empire.
"During the eighteenth century, the Electorate of Hanover was ruled in personal union with the British crown."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a collective noun, 'electorate' takes a singular verb in American English when referring to voters as a unified body, whereas British English allows either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the group is viewed as a single unit or as individuals.
• Rhymes for electorate
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 17th century from 'elector' and the suffix '-ate', originally denoting the dignity or territory of a German prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire before shifting in the 19th century to mean the collective body of qualified voters.