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vote Definition

vote (vōt)

noun

    1. a decision by a group on a proposal, resolution, bill, etc., or a choice between candidates for office, expressed by written ballot, voice, show of hands, etc.
    2. the decision of any individual in the group
    1. the expression or indication of such a decision or choice
    2. the ticket, ballot, voice, or other means by which it is expressed
  3. the right to exercise such a decision or choice, as in a meeting, election, etc.; suffrage
    1. the total number of ballots cast a light vote
    2. votes collectively to get out the vote
    3. a specified group of voters, or their votes, collectively the farm vote

Etymology: LME (Scot) < L votum, a wish, vow < neut. of votus, pp. of vovere, to vow < IE base *ewegwh-, to speak solemnly, vow > Sans vāghát, one who vows, Gr euche, a vow, prayer

intransitive verb vot′ed, vot′·ing

  1. to express the will or a preference in a matter by ballot, voice, etc.; give or cast a vote
  2. to declare a preference, wish, opinion, etc. the departing spectators voted with their feet

transitive verb

    1. to decide, choose, enact, or authorize by vote
    2. to grant or confer by vote
    3. to support (a specified party ticket) in voting
  2. to declare by general opinion voted the picnic a success
  3. Informal to suggest I vote we leave now

vote Related Forms
vote′·less adjective
vote Idioms

vote down

to defeat by voting; decide against

vote in

to elect

vote out

to defeat (an incumbent) in an election

vote Synonyms

vote

n.

  1. A ballot

    tally, ticket, slip of paper, ball, yes or no, rising vote, Australian ballot, secret ballot, viva-voce vote.

  2. A decision

    will, wish, referendum, choice, majority, unanimous vote, plebiscite; see also election 2.

  3. The right to vote

    suffrage, the franchise, manhood suffrage, universal suffrage, women's suffrage; see also right 1.

vote Synonyms

vote

v.

ballot, cast a vote, cast a ballot, give a vote, enact, establish, determine, bring about, effect, grant, confer, declare*, suggest*, propose*; see also choose 1, decide.

vote Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • cast: Russia has the casting vote on the entire Kyoto Protocol.
  • win: Recent years have seen the unusual " cherry tomatoes " with their superior taste winning the vote.
  • poll: This was felt to be a fair reflection of the votes polled by Grads.

Adjective modifier

  • postal: The president is elected by a national postal vote of the membership.
  • proxy: Only those people with the special circumstances listed above can have a proxy vote.
  • transferable: Of all possible voting systems, the single transferable vote gives the maximum power to individual voters over the choice of their local representatives.

Adjective complement

  • Conservative: Not realistic to expect people to vote Conservative if they haven't moved on.

Noun used with modifier

  • casting: The Chairperson of t he General Meeting shall have no casting vote.
  • majority: Officers of the NCP may be removed from office by a majority vote at an annual or special meeting of the SCP.
  • Dem: Full Story Stewart Willie increases Lib Dem vote in General Election May 11th.
  • protest: In the UK, there are plenty of opportunities to have a protest vote against the standing party / Prime Minister.

Possessives

  • 'yes: There is no certainty that even a very popular Labor government could turn around public opinion to secure a 'yes ' vote.

Preposition: in

  • favor: A majority of Tory MPs will vote in favor, he believes.
  • referendum: The Government would therefore recommend the British people to vote yes in a referendum to join, he added.
  • election: All members of the MCR are entitled to vote in the election.
  • ballot: Each of the names submitted must have received the support of two-thirds of the members, voting in a secret ballot.
  • poll: I'd like to hear the comments of the people who have voted yes in this poll!

Preposition: of

  • confidence: More important than the cash is the vote of confidence that comes with it.
  • thank: A vote of thanks was given by Mr Lambert.

Preposition: by

  • proxy: Anyone wishing to vote by proxy on grounds of a medical emergency, must apply in writing by 5.00pm on Thursday 6th July 2006.
vote Quotes

The primordial argument against giving woman the vote is that that vote would not represent physical force.

—Wright, SirAlmroth Edward

   Fifty per cent of them won't vote and the other half doesn't read newspapers. I hope it's the same.

—Vidal, Gore originally Eugene Luther Vidal,Jr

What istheuse offighting for thevoteif we donot havea country to vote in? With that patriotism that has nerved womento enduretorture inprison for thenational good, we ardently desire that our country shall be victorious.

—Pankhurst, Emmeline ne¤  e  Goulden

I cast only one voteöfor Jack. It is a rare thing to be able to vote for one's husband for President and I didn't want to dilute it by voting for anyone else.

—Onassis,Jacqueline Lee Kennedy ne¤  e Bouvier

Idon'tthink therewasevera piece of music thatchanged a man's decision on how to vote.

—Schnabel, Artur

In Church your grandsire cut his throat; To do the job too long he tarried, He should have had my hearty vote, To cut his throat before he married.

—Swift,Jonathan

The elitist attitude is basically suspicious of, and hostile to, themarket precisely becausethemarket issovulgarly democraticöone dollar, one vote.

—Krasna, Norman

One man shall have one vote.

—Cartwright,John

I cannot bring myself to vote for a woman who has been voice-trained to speak to me as though my dog has just died.

—Waterhouse, Keith Spencer

We are making politics a spectator sport in which our only duty is to vote somebody into office and then retire to the grandstands.

—Gergen, David Richmond

How long you women have been trying for the vote.For my part, I mean to get it.

—Pankhurst, Christabel

No writer before the middle of the19th century wrote about the working classes other thanasgrotesques oras pastoral decorations. Then when they were given the vote certain writers started to suck up to them.

—Waugh, Evelyn Arthur StJohn