as in to choose
to decide to accept (someone or something) from a group of possibilities
I've elected to study French as my foreign language
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in select
singled out from a number or group as more to one's liking
this elect body of students represents the best that the nation's high schools have to offer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in best
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
the members of this all-American team are the elect of collegiate football
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of elect
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
What else is going on A Southern California man was sentenced to four years in prison for acting as a covert Chinese agent while helping elect an Arcadia City Council member.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Tim Reynolds, ajc, 7 Nov. 2021
Voters chose to re-elect incumbents Daniel Ursu and Juanita Lewis.
—cleveland, 4 Nov. 2021
Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
Vanessa Joseph is chair-elect of the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network and an immigration attorney with Catholic Legal Services.
—Vanessa Joseph, Sun Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elect
Verb
That unnamed co-conspirator is widely believed to be longtime Oakland political operative Mario Juarez, who twice ran for City Council himself but was never elected.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
What else is going on A Southern California man was sentenced to four years in prison for acting as a covert Chinese agent while helping elect an Arcadia City Council member.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
In some cases, those who are vaccinated but elect to not receive a booster would be subjected to game-day testing again starting Dec. 1, the NBA said.
—Tim Reynolds, ajc, 7 Nov. 2021
Voters chose to re-elect incumbents Daniel Ursu and Juanita Lewis.
—cleveland, 4 Nov. 2021
Noun
He’s been nominated by the governor-elect of New Jersey to serve as the state’s next Department of Health commissioner, the county’s statement said.
—Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
Vanessa Joseph is chair-elect of the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network and an immigration attorney with Catholic Legal Services.
—Vanessa Joseph, Sun Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for elect
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elect
Verb
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Taxpayers are encouraged to file as soon as possible and choose direct deposit to receive refunds more quickly.—
Marley Malenfant,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
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By testing seasonal changes, different numbers of occupants, and how people behave in offices, the researchers showed that the model can reliably identify more efficient and comfortable configurations, giving designers a much clearer basis for choosing the best energy-saving options.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Edible Arrangements Save up to 25% off on select Valentine's Day gifts and get free next-day delivery on orders of $79 or more.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
14 Feb. 2026
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The style code for the Nike Air Max 95 OG Big Bubble SP Neon Paisley Bandana is IQ0620-100and it’s expected to be released in limited quantities from select retailers.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And if your fourth line is Horvat between Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart, with Bennett — the Conn Smythe Trophy winner last spring — as the 13th forward sprinkled in with some shifts, well, that’s a new definition of depth at best-on-best.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
12 Feb. 2026
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The two most notable team stats were points in the paint, where the Aztecs scored 52 points; and turnovers, where the visitors committed six while forcing 22, both season bests.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When Warren went to pick her up at her parents' house, her brothers, Kevin, Reggie and Wayne, surrounded him.—
Everett Eaton,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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These cities were picked for their real estate, ideal locations and unique activities.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The gist, however, seems to be that extra-terrestrials make contact with a selected few, before promising to go public to the entire world — good luck dealing with the ramifications of that one, human race!—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
31 Dec. 2025
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The selected cohort—Diamond Batiste, Ciara Boniface, Jeremy Hsing, Alejandra López and Brittany Alexia Young—were chosen from nearly 1,000 submissions, placing them at the forefront of a new chapter in cinematic storytelling.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Once the preserve of European aristocracy, the Romanée-Conti is now sought out by multi-millionaires at auction.—
Pin Yen Tan 9 min ago,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
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Quick bios have always played up Newsom’s close relationship (and business ties) with the heirs to the Getty oil fortune and links to San Francisco’s political aristocracy.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Bhumjaithai is seen as the main defender and preferred choice of the royalist-military establishment.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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One option is rolling with a six-man rotation, which would keep Crawford or Sandoval in their preferred role while building in extra rest for the others.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And there are others who've been able to do that as part of smaller communities, not necessarily part of the elite.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
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Recent research suggests a significant shift in how voters perceive the parties; more people now believe that Republicans best represent the interests of the poor and working class, while Democrats are coming to be viewed as the party of rich elites.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Elect.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elect. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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