election

plural elections

1. countableuncountableA process of choosing a leader, members of parliament, councillors, or other representatives by popular vote.

   The parliamentary election(s) will be held in March.

   2 more examples

   How did you vote in (UK also: at) the last election?

   That brief moment after the election four years ago, when many Americans thought Mr. Obama’s election would presage a new, less fractious political era, now seems very much a thing of the past.

   2012 November 7, Matt Bai, “Winning a Second Term, Obama Will Confront Familiar Headwinds”, in New York Times

2. countableuncountableThe choice of a leader or representative by popular vote.

   The election of John Smith was due to his broad appeal.

3. countableuncountableAn option that is selected.

   W-4 election

4. archaiccountableuncountableAny conscious choice.

   To use men with much difference and election is good.

   1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Followers and Friends”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC

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   Whosoever searcheth all the circumstances and embraceth all the consequences thereof hindereth his election.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 20, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC

   The predestinative force of a free agent's own will in certain absolute acts, determinations, or elections, and in respect of which acts it is one either with the divine or the devilish will; and if the former, the conclusions to be drawn from God's goodness, faithfulness, and spiritual presence; these supply grounds of argument of a very different character […]

   1830, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Notes on The Pilgrim's Progress

5. countableuncountablelifestyleIn Calvinism, God's predestination of saints including all of the elect.

   [H]e [Paul] laboureth to comfort Timothy vvith the remembrance of the ſtedfaſtneſs of Gods eternal decree of Election, becauſe grounded on his foreknowledge; […]

   1684, John Bunyan, A Holy Life, the Beauty of Christianity: Or, An Exhortation to Christians to be Holy, London: […] B. W. for Benj[amin] Alsop, […], →OCLC, page 3

6. countableobsoleteuncountableThose who are elected.

   The election hath obtained it.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Romans 11:7