noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH0 L EH1 K T ER0 AH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:IH0 L EH1 K T R IH0 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: government, politics
Examples
The votes have been counted and the electorate has spoken.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: constituency
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The office, or area of dominion, of an Elector (“a German prince entitled to elect the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”); an electorship.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Topics: government, politics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A geographical area represented by one or more elected officials; a constituency, an electoral district.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, New-Zealand
Topics: government, politics
Examples
The electorate of Finchley borders on the electorate of Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh, splitting the new housing estate of Royal Cupolas.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: division, riding, seat, ward
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the body of enfranchised citizens; those qualified to vote
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: citizenry, people
History
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).
Across languages
Translations
66 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
էլեկտորատ
(ēlektorat)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Armenian:
ընտրազանգված
(əntrazangvac)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Basque:
hautesleria
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Belarusian:
электара́т
(eljektarát)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Belarusian:
вы́баршчыкі
(výbarščyki)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Bulgarian:
електора́т
(elektorát)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Bulgarian:
избира́тели
(izbiráteli)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Catalan:
electorat
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Chinese Mandarin:
選民 /选民
(xuǎnmín)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Czech:
elektorát
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Czech:
voličstvo
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Czech:
voliči
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Dutch:
electoraat
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Dutch:
kiezerspubliek
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Dutch:
kiespubliek
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Esperanto:
voĉdonantaro
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Estonian:
elektoraat
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Finnish:
äänestäjäkunta
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Finnish:
äänestäjät
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Finnish:
äänioikeutetut
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
French:
électorat
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Friulian:
eletorât
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Galician:
electorado
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Georgian:
ამომრჩევლები
(amomrčevlebi)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Georgian:
ელექტორატი
(elekṭoraṭi)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
German:
Wählerschaft
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
German:
Wähler
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
German:
Stimmvolk
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Greek:
εκλογικό σώμα
(eklogikó sóma)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Italian:
elettorato
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Japanese:
有権者
(yūkensha)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Korean:
유권자
(yugwonja)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Latin:
ēlectoratus
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Macedonian:
електора́т
(elektorát)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Macedonian:
гласачи
(glasači)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Polish:
elektorat
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Portuguese:
eleitorado
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Romanian:
electorat
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Romanian:
alegători
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Russian:
электора́т
(elektorát)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Russian:
избира́тели
(izbiráteli)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Serbo-Croatian:
гласачи
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Serbo-Croatian:
glasači
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Slovak:
elektorát
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Slovak:
voličstvo
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Slovak:
voliči
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Slovene:
volivci
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Spanish:
electorado
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Swedish:
väljare
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Swedish:
väljarkår
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Swedish:
valmannakår
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Swedish:
valmanskår
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Ukrainian:
електора́т
(elektorát)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Ukrainian:
ви́борці
(výborci)
— collective people of a country, state, or electoral district who are entitled to vote
Danish:
kurfyrstendømme
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Dutch:
keurvorstendom
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Finnish:
elektoraatti
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
German:
Kurfürstentum
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Bavarian German:
kuafiaschtndum
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Greek:
ελεκτοράτο
(elektoráto)
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Icelandic:
kjörfurstadæmi
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Polish:
elektorat
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Portuguese:
eleitorado
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Slovak:
kurfirststvo
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Swedish:
kurfurstendöme
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector
Ukrainian:
курфю́рство
(kurfjúrstvo)
— office, or area of dominion, of an Elector