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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. v. To select by vote for an office or for membership.
  2. v. To pick out; select: elect an art course.
  3. v. To decide, especially by preference: elected to take the summer off.
  4. v. To select by divine will for salvation. Used of God.
  5. v. To make a choice or selection.
  6. adj. Chosen deliberately; singled out.
  7. adj. Elected but not yet installed. Often used in combination: the governor-elect.
  8. adj. Chosen for marriage. Often used in combination: the bride-elect.
  9. adj. Selected by divine will for salvation.
  10. n. One that is chosen or selected.
  11. n. One selected by divine will for salvation.
  12. n. An exclusive group of people. Used with the: one of the elect who have power inside the government.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. To pick out; select from among a number; specifically, in theology, to select, especially as an object of divine mercy or favor. See election, 6.
  2. Hence To select for an office or employment by a majority or plurality (according to agreement) of votes; choose by ballot or any similar method: as, to elect a representative or a senator; to elect a president or mayor.
  3. To choose; prefer; determine in favor of.
  4. Synonyms Select, Prefer, etc. See choose.
  5. Chosen; selected from among a number; taken in preference to others; specifically, in theology, chosen as the special objects of mercy or divine favor; chosen to eternal life.
  6. Chosen to an office, as by vote, but not yet inaugurated, consecrated, or invested with office: in this sense usually after the noun: as, governor or mayor electricity
  7. Of such a nature as to merit choice or preference; noble; exalted.
  8. A person or persons chosen or set apart; one or more selected for a particular service or honor.
  9. Those who are chosen by God to eternal life.
  10. An abbreviation of electric and electricity.
  11. n. An abbreviation of electrical;
  12. n. of the Latin electuarium, electuary.

Wiktionary

  1. n. In Calvinist theology, those foreordained to Heaven.
  2. v. To choose or make a decision (to do something)
  3. v. To choose (a candidate) in an election
  4. adj. Who has been elected in a specified post, but has not yet entered office.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. adj. Chosen; taken by preference from among two or more.
  2. adj. Chosen as the object of mercy or divine favor; set apart to eternal life.
  3. adj. Chosen to an office, but not yet actually inducted into it
  4. n. One chosen or set apart.
  5. n. Those who are chosen for salvation.
  6. v. To pick out; to select; to choose.
  7. v. To select or take for an office; to select by vote.
  8. v. To designate, choose, or select, as an object of mercy or favor.

WordNet 3.0

  1. v. choose.
  2. n. an exclusive group of people
  3. adj. selected as the best
  4. adj. elected but not yet installed in office
  5. v. select by a vote for an office or membership

Etymologies

  1. Middle English electen, from Latin ēligere, ēlēct-, to select : ē-, ex-, ex- + legere, to choose; see leg- in Indo-European roots.

Examples

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Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘elect’.

Comments

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  • gangerh Choose the chosen? Sep 16, 2008

‘elect’ has been looked up 1258 times, added to 6 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 7.