nominee

nominee — noun

1. a person whose name has been formally put forward to receive an award, honor, jo

1.nounB2
Definition

a person whose name has been formally put forward to receive an award, honor, job, or position, before a final decision is made.

Example

The five nominees for Best Picture include a romantic drama and a historical film.

nominee + for + [award category]

Each nominee for the teaching award must submit a portfolio of lesson plans.

Common collocations
  • nominee for [award/prize/position]
  • Oscar nominee
  • award nominee
  • be a nominee
  • list of nominees
Synonyms
  • candidate

    broader term — a candidate can put themselves forward, whereas a nominee is always proposed by others

  • contender

    stronger — implies the person has a realistic chance of winning; nominee is neutral about odds

  • entrant

    refers to someone who has entered a competition; does not require being nominated by others

Antonyms
  • winner

    the person who actually receives the award or position

  • judge

    the person who selects or decides, not the one being considered

Grammar Patterns

nominee + for + [award/prize/position]

Usage Note

Frequently followed by for + the award, prize, or position (nominee for Best Actress, nominee for the board). Can also be preceded by the category as a modifier: Oscar nominee, Grammy nominee.

Common Mistakes

She was a nominee of the teaching award.
She was a nominee for the teaching award.
Use for, not of, after nominee to specify the award or position.

2. a person who has been officially chosen by a political party to compete in an el

2.nounB2
Definition

a person who has been officially chosen by a political party to compete in an election for a public office.

Example

The party's nominee for governor gave a speech at the convention center.

[party] + nominee + for + [office]

João became the nominee after winning the primary election by a wide margin.

Common collocations
  • party nominee
  • presidential nominee
  • Democratic nominee
  • Republican nominee
  • nominee for [office]
  • become the nominee
Synonyms
  • candidate

    general term — a nominee is a type of candidate, but candidate can be self-declared

  • appointee

    someone chosen for a position without a public election, such as a cabinet member

  • standard-bearer

    more formal or journalistic; emphasizes the person as representing the party

Antonyms
  • incumbent

    the current office-holder, who may be running against the nominee

  • voter

    the person who casts a ballot, not the one being voted for

Grammar Patterns

[party] + nominee

nominee + for + [office]

Usage Note

Typically preceded by a party name (Republican nominee, Democratic nominee) or followed by for + the office (nominee for president). This sense implies formal selection by a group, unlike sense 1 where nomination may be a preliminary suggestion.

Common Mistakes

The presidential elect is giving a speech tonight.
The presidential nominee is giving a speech tonight.
Use nominee for a person chosen to run; elect is for someone already voted in.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Nominee and candidate are the closest pair, but nominee emphasizes being proposed by others — a committee, a party, or a group — while candidate can be self-declared or put forward by others. For example, anyone can announce they are a candidate for president, but a person becomes the nominee only after being formally selected by their party. Contender adds a competitive element: it suggests the person has a real chance of winning, whereas nominee is neutral about odds. Applicant, by contrast, always involves voluntary submission — someone applies for a job or program themselves. In context: 'There were five Oscar nominees for Best Director' (chosen by the Academy); 'She was a strong contender for the gold medal' (expected to win); 'He submitted his résumé as an applicant for the scholarship' (self-applied).

nominee ↗candidate ↗contender ↗applicant ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • select a nominee
  • put forward as a nominee
  • become a nominee
  • announce the nominee

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Nominee comes from Latin nōmināre ('to name'), via French nommé ('named') and the English suffix -ee, which marks the person who receives an action. So a nominee is literally 'a person who has been named (for something).' The word first appeared in English in the mid-1600s, used for someone proposed for a position or honor.