electorate

[ ih-lek-ter-it ]

noun

1. the body of persons entitled to vote in an election.
2. the dignity or territory of an Elector of the Holy Roman Empire.

electorate

/ ɪˈlɛktərɪt /

noun

1. the body of all qualified voters
2. the rank, position, or territory of an elector of the Holy Roman Empire
3. the area represented by a Member of Parliament
4. the voters in a constituency

Word History and Origins

Origin of electorate¹

First recorded in 1665–75; elector + -ate ³

Example Sentences

That’s so helpful in solving difficult and important problems — by further dividing the electorate at public expense, while the rich keep getting richer.

From Salon

“It just so happens that the younger electorate are predominantly voters of color,” Gomez Daly said.

From Los Angeles Times

In the Riverside County district that Democrats are trying to flip, he said, “the voting electorate between 18 to 24 that’s being rejected are predominantly Latino.”

From Los Angeles Times

This cycle’s inflation led to crucial Democratic losses among voters who don’t have college degrees, and those voters will have to be won back somehow, because they make up a majority of the electorate.

From Slate

What the 2020 primary ultimately showed is that Democratic voters are pragmatic; they responded to what they thought the general electorate wanted, and put aside their own preferences in order to do so.

From Slate

Related Words

• constituency
• voter