electorate

noun

elec·​tor·​ate i-ˈlek-t(ə-)rət How to pronounce electorate (audio)
1
: the territory, jurisdiction, or dignity of a German elector
2
: a body of people entitled to vote

Examples of electorate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Proposition 50 expanded the Republican share of the 7th District electorate by adding Placerville and GOP-leaning suburbs to the northeast. — Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026 The unsettled partisan lines around this issue have allowed anger, rooted in decades of deindustrialization and public austerity, to flourish in the electorate. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 Colorado is a state with a widely varied electorate that's becomes more solidly Democratic in recent decades, but which still holds a strong conservative and libertarian streak. — Joanna Ossinger, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 County officials — caught between a state legislative mandate to cooperate with ICE, a national mass deportation push that was filling their jail with detainees and a vocal electorate that demanded change — wrestled with how to respond. — Mario Ariza, ProPublica, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for electorate

Word History

First Known Use

1675, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of electorate was in 1675

Rhymes for electorate

See All Rhymes for electorate

Browse Nearby Words

electorally
electorate
electorial
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Electorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/electorate. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

electorate

noun
elec·​tor·​ate i-ˈlek-t(ə-)rət How to pronounce electorate (audio)
: a body of people entitled to vote

Legal Definition

electorate

noun
elec·​tor·​ate
: a body of people entitled to vote
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All