president-elect

IPA/ˌprezɪdənt ɪˈlekt/
IPA/ˌprezɪdənt ɪˈlekt/

president-elect — noun

1. someone chosen by voters to be the next leader of a country, serving between the

1.nounB2
Definition

someone chosen by voters to be the next leader of a country, serving between the election result and the official start of the job.

Example

The president-elect spent the morning meeting with advisors to plan the first week after taking office.

always preceded by 'the'

Beatriz watched the president-elect's speech on television and felt hopeful about the new government.

possessive: president-elect's + noun

Common collocations
  • president-elect met with
  • president-elect promised
  • president-elect's team
  • president-elect announced
  • advise the president-elect
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the president-elect

Usage Note

Always written with a hyphen and normally preceded by 'the'. The title is used from the day after the election result is confirmed until the formal inauguration ceremony.

Common Mistakes

The president-elect has been in office for two years.
The president has been in office for two years.
Use 'president' (not 'president-elect') once the person has officially started the job.
President elect Smith gave a speech.
The president-elect gave a speech.
The compound is always hyphenated and requires the definite article.
Idioms

the president-elect

idiom

the person who has been chosen by vote to become the next leader of a country, state, or large organisation — such as a president or prime minister — before formally beginning their duties.

The prime minister‑elect met with foreign ambassadors to discuss trade policy before her official first day.

Jin read several news articles about the president‑elect and his plans for healthcare reform.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three terms refer to someone who has been chosen to lead but has not yet started the job. 'President-elect' is the most standard and formal title used mainly in presidential systems like the United States; it carries a sense of official status during the transition period. 'Incoming president' is more informal and is common in news headlines and casual conversation; it can also refer to the leader of a smaller organisation. 'President-designate' is used in parliamentary or ceremonial systems and sounds the most formal of the three. Example: 'The president-elect met with foreign diplomats.' / 'The incoming president promised to create new jobs.' / 'The president-designate will be sworn in next week.'

incoming presidentpresident-designatepresident-elect ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • president-elect and her team
  • meet with the president-elect

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word joins 'president' (from Latin 'praesidens', meaning 'one who sits before' or 'presides') with 'elect' (from Latin 'electus', 'chosen'). The hyphenated compound came into use in the early 1800s in American English to describe the period after a presidential election but before the formal transfer of power. The structure follows an older French pattern of placing the adjective after the noun, like 'consul-designate' or 'ambassador-designate'.