pollster

IPA/ˈpəʊlstə(r)/
KK[pˈolstɚ]IPA/ˈpəʊlstər/

pollster — noun

  • pollstersingular
  • pollstersplural

1. someone whose job is to ask people questions in order to measure public opinion,

1.nounC1
Definition

someone whose job is to ask people questions in order to measure public opinion, especially about politics, elections, or current issues

Example

Nora, a campaign pollster, phoned two hundred voters before dinner.

collocation: campaign pollster

Sahil asked suburban parents about school lunches as the station's pollster.

pattern: ask [group] about [issue]

Common collocations
  • campaign pollster
  • newspaper pollster
  • public opinion pollster
  • pollster for a TV station
  • according to pollsters
Synonyms
  • interviewer

    broader word for someone asking questions; it is not limited to measuring public opinion

  • survey researcher

    broader and more formal; may study habits or facts as well as public opinion

  • canvasser

    can overlap in face-to-face opinion gathering, but often suggests trying to persuade voters or customers

Grammar Patterns

pollster for + newspaper / TV station / campaign

pollster asks + group + about + issue

Usage Note

Most often used for someone measuring public opinion through surveys, especially in politics or the news. Distinguish from canvasser, which often focuses on winning support, and from interviewer, which is a broader word for anyone asking questions.

Common Mistakes

The pollster announced the evening news on TV.
The pollster asked viewers which candidate they trusted more.
A pollster collects opinion data; a news anchor or reporter presents the news.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Pollster, interviewer, survey researcher, canvasser, and reporter all gather information from people, but they do different jobs. A pollster mainly measures what the public thinks, especially in politics or current debates, and usually works with survey results and percentages. An interviewer is broader and can ask questions in research, job interviews, or the media. A survey researcher is more formal and may design or study longer surveys about habits or social facts, not only opinion. A canvasser may ask questions too, but often tries to persuade people to support a candidate or buy something. A reporter gathers facts for the news rather than measuring public opinion. A TV station may hire a pollster before an election, while a reporter covers the speeches after it.

interviewer ↗survey researchercanvasser ↗reporter ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • campaign pollster
  • newspaper pollster
  • public opinion pollster
  • university pollster

Phrases

  • according to pollsters
  • pollster for [organization]

Etymology

Middle Low GermanMiddle EnglishEnglish

Pollster combines poll with the agent ending -ster. Poll came into English in the Middle English period and developed the modern sense of asking a group of people what they think. By adding -ster, English formed a noun for the person who carries out that work, especially in politics and public-opinion research.

First known use

1939

1939, in the meaning defined above