Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

first past the post

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.05 in modern English

Syllables: first -past the -post
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

3

Syllables

10

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A voting system where the candidate with the most votes (a plurality) wins, without any form of preference transfer.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"In our two-party system, that aloofness and hostility is partly a result of a first-past-the-post electoral system that worships the wedge, with each party terrified that one issue might catch fire and swing marginal seats away from victory."

Etymology

A metaphor derived from horse racing, referring to the first horse to physically pass the winning post at the finish line, regardless of the distance to the runner-up.

Usage

Uncountable

Synonyms

FPTP simple majority voting plurality voting

Questions

What does first past the post mean?: A voting system where the candidate with the most votes (a plurality) wins, without any form of preference transfer.
Where does first past the post come from?: A metaphor derived from horse racing, referring to the first horse to physically pass the winning post at the finish line, regardless of the distance to the runner-up.

How to pronounce first past the post

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