President-Elect Means Chosen but Not Yet in Office
To elect is to choose by vote. Placed after a title, elect marks someone who has won but not yet taken up the post.
To elect is to choose someone by voting. The word does unusual work after a noun: *president-elect*, *chairman-elect*, *bishop-elect* all mean chosen but not yet installed, and the position of the word carries the whole meaning. Put it before the noun and it means something else entirely. The Latin root *legere*, to gather or choose, also produced *select*, *collect*, *intellect* and *elegant*.
- To choose by vote. *They elected a new chair.*
- To choose to do. *She elected to stay.*
- -elect — chosen but not installed. *The president-elect.*
- Election — the vote. *A general election.*
- Electorate — those who vote. *A large electorate.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | elect | Elect a leader. |
| Past | elected | Newly elected. |
| Noun | election | The election. |
| Noun | electorate | The electorate. |
| Latin | legere | To choose. |
- Members elected a new committee.Voting.
- She elected to take the earlier train.Formal: chose.
- The president-elect takes office in January.The suffix.
The legere family
- Elect — to choose out
- Select — to choose apart
- Collect — to gather together
- Intellect — the power to choose between ideas
- Elegant — originally, showing careful choice
Latin *electus*, the past participle of *eligere*, to pick out, from *ex-* plus *legere*, to gather or choose.
What does president-elect mean?
Someone who has won an election but has not yet taken office. The suffix marks the interval between the two.
Is elect ever formal for choose?
Yes. She elected to resign is a formal way of saying she chose to resign.