electable

[ ih-lek-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable of, or having a reasonable chance of, being elected, elected, as to public office.

Other Words From

• e·lecta·bili·ty noun
• ree·lecta·bili·ty noun
• ree·lecta·ble adjective
• une·lecta·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of electable¹

First recorded in 1875–80; elect + -able

Example Sentences

Surrounded by party leaders, all them who see him as the most electable Democratic candidate, McAuliffe promises the biggest investments in public education in the commonwealth's history, with a catchy slogan, taped onto his lectern.

From Washington Post

On the surface, that appears to have been an effort to make her more electable by courting moderate and conservative voters.

From FiveThirtyEight

Will it convince Americans that nonbelievers can be trustworthy, moral, and even electable?

From The Daily Beast

Is he electable in the general [election], and how does he meet the commander in chief threshold?

From The Daily Beast

Historically, “establishment” in this context also basically means “most formidable” and “most electable.”

From The Daily Beast

Not long ago, I observed on television that he is likely to be most electable Republican.

From The Daily Beast

In which case, the Republican Party will have lost its most electable candidate for the 2016 cycle.

From The Daily Beast