Vote

//vəʊt// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A formalized choice on legally relevant measures such as employment or appointment to office or a proceeding about a legal dispute.

    "The city council decided the matter should go to public vote."

  2. 2
    A person from Votia or of Votic descent.
  3. 3
    the opinion of a group as determined by voting wordnet
  4. 4
    An act or instance of participating in such a choice, e.g., by submitting a ballot.

    "The Supreme Court upheld the principle of one person, one vote."

  5. 5
    a choice that is made by counting the number of people in favor of each alternative wordnet
Show 7 more definitions
  1. 6
    An ardent wish or desire; a vow; a prayer. obsolete

    "Jol[ante]. In you, Sir, / I live; and when, or by the Courſe of Nature, / Or Violence you muſt fall, the End of my / Devotions is, that one and the ſame Hour / May make us fit for Heaven. // Server. I join with you / In my votes that way: […]"

  2. 7
    a legal right guaranteed by the 15th amendment to the US Constitution; guaranteed to women by the 19th amendment wordnet
  3. 8
    A formalized petition or request. obsolete
  4. 9
    the total number of voters who participated wordnet
  5. 10
    Any judgment of intellect leading to a formal opinion, a point of view. obsolete
  6. 11
    a body of voters who have the same interests wordnet
  7. 12
    Any judgment of intellect leading not only to a formal opinion but also to a particular choice in a legally relevant measure, a point of view as published.

    "dissenting vote (i.e. in particular the differing opinion published with a judicial judgment considered as a source of information)"

Verb
  1. 1
    To cast a vote; to assert a formalized choice in an election. intransitive

    "Q: Did you vote last month? A: Yes. I voted for John Smith, and it's a shame that he lost; you can't blame me for the mess we're in now."

  2. 2
    express one's preference for a candidate or for a measure or resolution; cast a vote wordnet
  3. 3
    To choose or grant (some objective) by means of a vote, or by general consent. transitive

    "The directors voted an increase in R&D spending."

  4. 4
    bring into existence or make available by vote wordnet
  5. 5
    To exercise one's voting right upon (a ballot or a share of stock). transitive

    "vote your ballot"

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    express a choice or opinion wordnet
  2. 7
    express one's choice or preference by vote wordnet
  3. 8
    be guided by in voting wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
right to voteabsentee votingacceptanceadherenceadmirationapprobation

Antonyms

All antonyms
elect

Example

More examples

"Now you've come of age, you have the right to vote."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Latin vōtum, a form of voveō (“I vow”) (cognate with Ancient Greek εὔχομαι (eúkhomai, “to vow”)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁wegʷʰ- (“to promise, to vow”). Doublet of vow.

Etymology 2

From German Wote, ultimately from Votic vadʹdʹa, vadʹdʹalain (“Votian”). Compare Estonian vadjalane.

Related phrases

absentee votealternative voteblock votebullet votecast one's votecasting votecemetery voteconfidence votecross-votecross-voteget out the voteghost vote

More for "vote"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.