Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

electorate

/ɪˈlɛktəɹət/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.64 in modern English

Syllables: elect-or-ate
IPA: /ɪˈlɛktəɹət/

12

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote.

noun

The office, or area of dominion, of an Elector (“a German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”); an electorship.

noun

A geographical area represented by one or more elected officials; a constituency, an electoral district.

Australian usage; New Zealand usage

Example Sentences

"The votes have been counted and the electorate has spoken."
"Incoming governments normally announce that they will seek to serve the whole electorate. Now, playing out in triplicate across the UK is a "divide and rule" approach to leadership, straight from Donald Trump's playbook: each faction consolidating its base, choosing an enemy and accusing opponents of treason in the hope that in a multiparty system they can win with a minority of votes."
"His cerebral candidacy, inspired by European and North American political and economic philosophers, and his very appearance, with his light-colored skin, trim physique and penchant for preppy sweaters, contrasted with an electorate largely made up of impoverished Quechua-speaking people and Spanish-speaking mestizos."
"[I]n case Hanover should be attacked on the ground of a German quarrel, unconnected with English politics, we were not bound to defend her; yet, if a power at war with England should think fit to consider that electorate as part of the king's dominions, which perhaps according to the law of nations might be done, our honour must require that it should be defended against such an attack."
"The line of demarcation [between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism] ran, as it still runs, through the midst of the Netherlands, of Germany, and of Switzerland, dividing province from province, electorate from electorate, and canton from canton."
"[…] Brandenburg, emerging around what would become Berlin, acquired distinct status as an electorate in the mid-fourteenth century."

Etymology

From elector (“person eligible to vote in an election; German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”) + -ate (forms nouns denoting a rank or office, the concrete charge of it).

Word Breakdown

Root: *leǵ-

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɪˈlɛktəɹət/
British English: /ɪˈlɛktəɹət/

Usage

Inflected Forms

electorates (plural)

Derived Forms

selectorate subelectorate

Phrases

Electorate of the Palatinate electoral district

Frequently Paired Words

elect electable electant elected electee electing election electional

Synonyms

constituency division riding seat ward

Rhymes With

directorate protectorate inspectorate

Questions

How do you pronounce electorate?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɪˈlɛktəɹət/.
What does electorate mean?: The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote.
Where does electorate come from?: From elector (“person eligible to vote in an election; German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”) + -ate (forms nouns denoting a rank or office, the concrete charge of it).

How to pronounce electorate

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “electorate”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪˈlɛktəɹət/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “electorate”.
Repeat and practice — Say “electorate” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.