electorate
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ɪˈlɛktəɹət/
ipa: /ɪˈlɛktɹət/
Forms: form: electorates
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).
Senses: examples: text: The votes have been counted and the electorate has spoken.
text: 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.
ref: 2019 August 10, Gordon Brown, “The very idea of a United Kingdom is being torn apart by toxic nationalism”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Aug 2022:
text: 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.
ref: 2025 April 13, Simon Romero, “Mario Vargas Llosa, Nobel-Winning Peruvian Novelist, Dies at 89”, in The New York Times:
topics: government
politics
synonyms: constituency
glosses: The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote.
examples: text: [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.
ref: 1827, Henry Hallam, “On the Reign of William II”, in The Constitutional History of England from the Accession of Henry VII. to the Death of George II. […], volume II, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, footnote †, page 534:
text: 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.
ref: 1837 July, Thomas Babington Macaulay, “Lord Bacon [Francis Bacon]. […]”, in Critical and Historical Essays, Contributed to the Edinburgh Review. […], 2nd edition, volume II, London: […] Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 305:
text: […] Brandenburg, emerging around what would become Berlin, acquired distinct status as an electorate in the mid-fourteenth century.
ref: 2016, Peter H[amish] Wilson, “Lands”, in Heart of Europe: A History of the Holy Roman Empire, Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, →ISBN, part II (Belonging), page 187:
topics: government
politics
glosses: The office, or area of dominion, of an Elector (“a German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”); an electorship.
examples: text: The electorate of Finchley borders on the electorate of Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, splitting the new housing estate of Royal Cupolas.
topics: government
politics
synonyms: word: division
word: riding
word: seat
word: ward
glosses: A geographical area represented by one or more elected officials; a constituency, an electoral district.
Derived terms: Electorate of the Palatinate
selectorate
subelectorate
Related terms: word: elect
word: electable
word: electant
word: elected
word: electee
word: electing
word: election
word: electional
word: electionary
word: electioneer
word: electioneering
word: elective
word: electively
word: elector
word: Elector
word: electoral
word: electoral district
word: electorally
word: electorial