candidate

B1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈkæn.dɪ.deɪt/ UK /ˈkæn.dɪdət/ See IPA manual

noun verb Freq #4432

Meanings

1

noun
A person who is trying to be elected or chosen for a job or position.

Smith announced that he was the party's candidate for the next election.
2

noun
A person or thing that is suitable for or likely to be chosen for something.

This old building is a strong candidate for renovation.
3

noun
A person taking an exam or test.

Candidates must remain silent for the whole of the exam.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person who is trying to... campaigner prospect

Word family

Forms candidates

Derived forms candidacycandidateshipcandidatureexcandidateklandidatemulticandidatenoncandidateprecandidate

Related forms candela candelabrum candid candlecandlepowercandlestick chandler chandlery

Etymology

From Latin candidātus (“a person who is standing for public office”, noun), from candidus (“dazzling white, shining, clear”) + -ātus, -āta, -ātum (participial adjective-forming suffix), in reference to Roman candidates wearing bleached white togas as a symbol of purity at a public forum. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

*(s)kend- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction

# candidate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** ˈkæn.dɪ.deɪt
**IPA (UK):** ˈkæn.dɪdət
**Frequency rank:** 4432

## Meanings
1. A person who is trying to be elected or chosen for a job or position.
2. A person or thing that is suitable for or likely to be chosen for something.
3. A person taking an exam or test.

## Examples
- Smith announced that he was the party's candidate for the next election.
- This old building is a strong candidate for renovation.
- Candidates must remain silent for the whole of the exam.

## Derived Forms
- candidacy
- candidateship
- candidature
- excandidate
- klandidate
- multicandidate
- noncandidate
- precandidate

## Related Forms
- candela
- candelabrum
- candid
- candle
- candlepower
- candlestick
- chandler
- chandlery

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *(s)kend-

## Etymology
From Latin candidātus (“a person who is standing for public office”, noun), from candidus (“dazzling white, shining, clear”) + -ātus, -āta, -ātum (participial adjective-forming suffix), in reference to Roman candidates wearing bleached white togas as a symbol of purity at a public forum. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

## AI Etymology
Candidate comes from Latin candidātus (“a person who is standing for public office”, noun), from candidus (“dazzling white, shining, clear”) + -ātus, -āta, -ātum (participial adjective-forming suffix), in reference to Roman candidates wearing bleached white togas as a symbol of purity at a public forum. By surface analysis, candid + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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candidate

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