elect
/ɪˈlɛkt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.03 in modern English
7
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
In Calvinist theology, one foreordained to Heaven. In other Christian theologies, someone chosen by God for salvation.
verb
(Of a group) to officially select one or more candidates in an election to hold office.
Transitive verb
adj
Chosen; taken by preference from among two or more.
Example Sentences
- "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth."
- "Shall not God avenge his won elect?"
- "President Obama in a speech this past week said that we should solve the nation's bee problem. Oh, God, we elected a guy who sympathizes with bees?"
- "He is the President elect."
- "She began almost to feel a dislike of Edward; and it ended, as every feeling must end with her, by carrying back her thoughts to Willoughby, whose manners formed a contrast sufficiently striking to those of his brother elect."
- "colours quaint elect"
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin ēlēctus, past participle of ēligō (“to pick out, choose, elect”), from ē- (“out”) + legō (“to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc.”); see legend. Cognate to eclectic, which is via Ancient Greek rather than Latin, hence prefix ἐκ (ek), rather than e- (from ex).
Origin
- Source language: Latin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *leǵ-, ēlēctus
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɪˈlɛkt/
- British English: /ɪˈlɛkt/