What does elect mean?
To elect is to choose a person for a position or office through the process of voting, whether for president of a nation, chairperson of a committee, or delegate to an assembly. The verb can also carry a broader, more formal sense of deciding on a course of action, as in 'she elected to retire early.' Derived forms include election, electorate, elective, and elector, all central to political vocabulary. Used adjectivally after a noun — as in 'president-elect' or 'governor-elect' — the word describes someone who has been chosen but has not yet taken office. In older religious usage, 'the elect' referred to those chosen by God for salvation, a sense that survives in theology and lends the word a faint aura of specialness even in everyday contexts. Rooted in the Latin eligere, meaning 'to pick out,' elect remains one of the foundational words of democratic life, capturing the idea that authority derives from deliberate collective choice rather than inheritance or force.
To choose someone for a position, office, or role by voting.
"The board elected him treasurer unanimously."
Commonly followed by a title complement: 'elect someone president/chair/leader.'
To decide or choose to do something; to opt for a course of action (formal).
"She elected to take early retirement rather than accept the transfer."
Chosen for an office but not yet formally installed in it.
"The governor-elect will be sworn in next month."
Always placed after the noun it modifies: president-elect, mayor-elect.
A select group of people regarded as specially chosen or favored; in Christian theology, those destined for salvation.
"Only the elect are admitted to that inner circle."
Usually used with the definite article: 'the elect.'
The word 'elect' comes from Latin eligere — 'to pick out' — which also gives us 'elite' and 'eligible': every election is literally an act of picking out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of elect
Elect comes from the Latin eligere, formed from ex- ('out') plus legere ('to pick, gather'), literally 'to pick out.' It entered English via Old French elire in late Middle English, initially carrying strong theological weight: 'the elect' were those God had chosen for salvation. The political sense of choosing officials by vote developed later and became dominant with the rise of representative government. Cognates sharing the same Latin root include elite, eligible, electorate, and select.
Related word forms
How elect is actually used
As a verb meaning 'to choose by voting,' it typically takes a person as object and often a title as complement ('elected him mayor'). In formal usage, it can mean simply 'to choose' ('she elected to stay'). As an adjective, it follows the noun it modifies: 'the president-elect.' As a noun, 'the elect' carries a religious sense of those chosen by God, as well as a general sense of a select group.
Easily confused with elect
'Elect' means chosen by vote, while 'elite' refers to the most skilled, powerful, or privileged members of a group.