candidate

Everyday

1. A candidate is a person who is trying to be chosen for something, such as a job, a prize or a place in government. tree →
2. A candidate is a person taking an exam: "candidates must not talk". tree →
3. A candidate is someone or something likely to be chosen or to happen: "she is a strong candidate for captain". tree →
4. A candidate can also be a person preparing to join a church through a ceremony such as confirmation. tree →

In the lessons

In school, pupils stand as candidates in class elections. In exam papers, "candidates" means the pupils taking the exam, and instructions are written in a formal voice. In maths, candidate answers are possible answers that you then check. Phrases: candidate for, a strong candidate, election candidate, exam candidate.

Examples

• There are four candidates for class president. tree →
• Candidates must write in black ink. tree →
• The best candidate got the job. tree →
• She is a strong candidate for the school team. tree →
• Each candidate gave a short speech. tree →
• Votes: candidate A got 12, candidate B got 9, so A won by 3. tree →
• Old bridges are candidates for repair. tree →
• The clothes were ready, and the candidate for confirmation was ready. tree →

Note

Countable: a candidate, candidates. Pronounced "CAN-di-date". Candidature/candidacy = being a candidate (formal). In vote problems, compare totals for each candidate.