Meaning & use
electors
Last updated
“electors” is a form of “elector”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounpluralformal
People who have the right to vote in an election.
Grammar: Plural of elector; used for voters as a group: the electors of this district.
Patterns
- electors of somewhere
- registered electors
The electors of the town voted on the new budget.
Only registered electors may take part in the ballot.
The candidate promised to listen to her electors.
nounpluralspecialist
In the United States, the members of the Electoral College who formally cast votes to choose the president.
Grammar: Used in a political sense with a state: the electors from each state.
Patterns
- electors from somewhere
Each state appoints electors who vote for president in December.
Some electors are pledged to the candidate who won their state.
California has more electors than any other state.
Word forms
| singular | elector |
|---|
Common combinations
- registered electors
- The council has twelve thousand registered electors.
- presidential electors
- Presidential electors meet in each state capital.
- electors choose
- The electors choose their leader in a secret ballot.
- list of electors
- Check the list of electors before the vote.
- pledged electors
- Pledged electors normally vote for their party's candidate.
Synonyms and how they differ
- voters
- Voters is the everyday term for people who actually vote, while electors stresses their legal right or formal role.
- electorate
- Electorate refers to all eligible voters as one body, while electors speaks of them as individuals.
- constituents
- Constituents are the people a politician represents, whether or not they voted.
Opposites
Word family
- elect verb
- to choose by voting
- election noun
- the process of choosing by vote
- electorate noun
- all the people entitled to vote
- electoral adjective
- relating to elections
- elector noun
- one person with the right to vote
Commonly confused: electors or elective? electors or electrician?
electors vs elective
Elective is an adjective meaning chosen by election or optional, not a person who votes.
electors vs electrician
An electrician works with electrical wiring, not voting.
Practice
In the United States, ____ meet after the November vote to formally choose the president.
Choose one answer.
Electors are the members of the Electoral College who formally cast the votes for president. Candidates are the people running, so they do not do this.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “electors”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.