What does candidate mean?
A candidate is a person who seeks or is being considered for something — a job, an elected office, an award, a place at university, or any position granted by choice or selection. The word spans two of the most visible arenas of public life: employment and politics. In politics, a candidate is someone formally standing for election and campaigning for votes; in hiring, it is someone who has applied and is under consideration, often narrowed through interviews to a shortlist. By extension, the term can apply loosely to non-human things judged likely to meet a criterion, as in 'the building is a candidate for demolition', though this is secondary usage. The tone is generally neutral and professional. Derived forms include 'candidacy' (or British 'candidature'), denoting the state of being a candidate. The word's origin is vividly memorable: it comes from the Latin 'candidatus', meaning 'clothed in white', because aspiring Roman officials wore whitened togas to display their integrity to voters — a literal link between brightness and worthiness that still echoes in the modern word.
nounA person who applies for or is considered for a job, position, award, or honour; also a person standing for election to an office.
- A person who applies for or is put forward for a job, role, prize, or honour.
- A person who stands for election to a political office or other elected position.
- Something (rarely) that is regarded as suitable or likely for a particular purpose or outcome.
"Three strong candidates are vying for the position of managing director."
"She was shortlisted as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature."
"The senator announced her candidacy, making her the leading candidate in the upcoming election."
Standard pluralisation; used when referring collectively to multiple applicants or office-seekers.
"Over two hundred candidates applied for the graduate scheme this year."
The word 'candidate' literally comes from the Latin for 'gleaming white' — ancient Roman office-seekers wore bright white togas to signal their purity and honesty to voters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of candidate
Candidate derives from the Latin 'candidatus', meaning one who aspired to public office wearing a 'toga candida' — a toga whitened with chalk to signify purity and trustworthiness before Roman voters. English adopted the word in the early 17th century via French, initially referring specifically to office-seekers before broadening over time to cover anyone applying for or considered for a post, prize, or honour. It shares its root with 'candid', 'candour', and ultimately words connected to 'candeo' (to shine), which also gave English 'candle' and 'incandescent' through related Latin descent.
Related word forms
How candidate is actually used
Register is neutral — used equally in formal political discourse and everyday job-hunting contexts. In British English, 'candidature' is a slightly more formal alternative to 'candidacy'. When applied to things rather than people ('a candidate for extinction'), the usage carries a faintly ironic or cautionary tone.
Easily confused with candidate
Candid is an adjective meaning frank and truthful, while candidate is a noun meaning a person seeking a position or office.