What does elected mean?
"Elected" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "elect," meaning to choose someone for a position or office by casting votes. It also functions as an adjective describing someone who has been chosen by vote, often before formally taking office, as in "the elected mayor." The word carries strong associations with democracy and legitimacy: an elected leader derives authority from the will of the voters, in contrast to someone who inherits or is handed a position. It commonly pairs with terms such as "official," "representative," and "government." Derived ultimately from the Latin eligere, meaning "to pick out or choose," it belongs to a family that includes "election," "electorate," and "select." Because elections are central to modern political life, "elected" is a word of everyday importance, appearing constantly in news reporting, civic discussion, and legal contexts.
Chosen for a position, office, or role by means of a vote.
"The members elected him president unanimously."
Often used with the preposition "to": "She was elected to Parliament in 2019."
Having been chosen by vote; frequently used attributively before nouns denoting public office.
"The elected assembly has the power to pass legislation."
Commonly contrasted with "appointed" or "hereditary" to emphasize democratic legitimacy.
Every four years, billions of people around the world live under leaders who were elected — yet the word itself comes from the Latin eligere, simply meaning "to pick out."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of elected
"Elected" comes from the Latin eligere, meaning "to pick out or choose," formed from ex- ("out") plus legere ("to gather or choose"). The word entered English via Old French elire during the Middle English period, and its participial form "elected" has been used ever since to describe those chosen by vote. It shares this Latin root with cognates such as "select," "election," "electorate," and "elite."
Related word forms
How elected is actually used
As a verb form, "elected" is neutral in register and appears in both formal political writing and everyday speech. As an adjective, it typically precedes nouns denoting office-holders ("elected officials," "the elected government") to distinguish them from appointed or hereditary ones.
Easily confused with elected
"Elective" describes something optional or chosen freely (such as an elective course), whereas "elected" specifically means chosen by vote for a position.
"Eligible" means qualified to be chosen, while "elected" means having actually been chosen by vote.