Phrase guide

snap election

noun · 1 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌsnæp ɪˈlɛkʃ(ə)n/
  • General-American: /ˌsnæp iˈlɛkʃ(ə)n/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛkʃən

1

noun

Meaning 1

An election that is called earlier than the regularly scheduled election time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From snap (“done, performed, etc., quickly and unexpectedly”) + election.

Across languages

Translations

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 提前選舉 /提前选举 (tíqián xuǎnjǔ) — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Danish: lynvalg — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Danish: valg i utide — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Dutch: vervroegde verkiezingen — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Finnish: ennenaikaiset vaalit — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • French: élections anticipées — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Georgian: ვადამდელი არჩევნები (vadamdeli arčevnebi) — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Georgian: რიგგარეშე არჩევნები (riggareše arčevnebi) — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • German: vorgezogene Neuwahl — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • German: vorgezogene Wahl — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Greek: πρόωρες εκλογές (próores eklogés) — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Hebrew: בחירות בזק (bkhirót bazák) — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Hungarian: előrehozott választás — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Italian: elezioni lampo — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Italian: elezione lampo — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nyvalg — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Polish: przedterminowe wybory — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Portuguese: eleições antecipadas — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Romanian: alegeri anticipate — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Russian: досрочные выборы (dosročnyje vybory) — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Russian: внеочередные выборы (vneočerednyje vybory) — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Spanish: elecciones anticipadas — election called before the regularly scheduled time
  • Swedish: nyval — election called before the regularly scheduled time