general election

noun

: an election usually held at regular intervals in which candidates are elected in all or most constituencies of a nation or state

Examples of general election in a Sentence

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The pair are engaged in a razor-thin race, according to polling, with just weeks to go until the general election. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 8 Oct. 2026 Current Miami-Dade rules already require commissioners to hold vacancy elections during a countywide primary or general election, but that’s not an option if a commissioner resigns to run for another office during an off-year. — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 But the visit by Min Aung Hlaing, a former military chief inaugurated as president in April after a general election judged by rights groups as designed to cement the military’s hold on power, has not been free of criticism. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 Republicans saw all this coming from a mile away, of course, spending huge sums to help Cornyn defeat Paxton in the primary, reasoning that the general election would be a relative layup for Cornyn. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for general election

Word History

First Known Use

1640, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of general election was in 1640

Rhymes for general election

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Browse Nearby Words

general education
general election
general endorsement
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Cite this Entry

“General election.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general%20election. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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general election

noun
: an election usually held at regular intervals in which candidates are elected in all or most constituencies of a nation or state

More from Merriam-Webster on general election

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about general election

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