First published 1891; not yet revised
electornoun
Factsheet
What does the noun elector mean?
There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun elector, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun elector?
About 3occurrences per million words in modern written English
1750 | 38 |
1760 | 30 |
1770 | 25 |
1780 | 15 |
1790 | 16 |
1800 | 17 |
1810 | 17 |
1820 | 16 |
1830 | 15 |
1840 | 14 |
1850 | 13 |
1860 | 12 |
1870 | 12 |
1880 | 13 |
1890 | 13 |
1900 | 13 |
1910 | 11 |
1920 | 9.3 |
1930 | 7.3 |
1940 | 6.6 |
1950 | 6.2 |
1960 | 5.6 |
1970 | 4.3 |
1980 | 2.9 |
1990 | 2.2 |
2000 | 2.0 |
2010 | 2.0 |
How is the noun elector pronounced?
British English
/ᵻˈlɛktə/
uh-LECK-tuh
U.S. English
/əˈlɛktər/
uh-LECK-tuhr
/iˈlɛktər/
ee-LECK-tuhr
Where does the noun elector come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the noun elector is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for elector is from 1467.
elector is a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: Latin ēlector.
Nearby entries
- electioneering, n.1760–
- electioneering, adj.1841–
- election petition, n.1835–
- election sermon, n.1644–
- electitious, adj.1631
- elective, adj. & n.1530–
- electively, adv.1636–
- electiveness, n.1850–
- electivity, n.
- electo, n.1609–
- elector, n.1467–
- electoral, adj. & n.1675–
- electoral act, n.1875–
- electoral bonnet, n.1689–
- electorality, n.1620
- electorally, adv.1881–
- electoral register, n.1817–
- electoral roll, n.1837–
- electoral vote, n.1673–
- electorate, n.1675–
- electorial, adj.1790–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for elector, n.
elector, n. was first published in 1891; not yet revised.
elector, n. was last modified in March 2024.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into elector, n. in March 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1891)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for elector, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- electioneering, n.1760–
- electioneering, adj.1841–
- election petition, n.1835–
- election sermon, n.1644–
- electitious, adj.1631
- elective, adj. & n.1530–
- electively, adv.1636–
- electiveness, n.1850–
- electivity, n.
- electo, n.1609–
- elector, n.1467–
- electoral, adj. & n.1675–
- electoral act, n.1875–
- electoral bonnet, n.1689–
- electorality, n.1620
- electorally, adv.1881–
- electoral register, n.1817–
- electoral roll, n.1837–
- electoral vote, n.1673–
- electorate, n.1675–
- electorial, adj.1790–