Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of candidate
"The election committee reviewed all candidates before announcing who would run for mayor."
In plain English: Candidates are people who are running for an election or job.
"Several candidates are running for mayor in this year's election."
Usage: Use candidates to refer to people who are applying for a job, award, or election position. Do not use it to describe potential solutions or options unless you are specifically discussing persons qualified to provide them.
Derived from Latin candidatus, meaning "dressed in white," this term originally referred to Roman politicians who wore white togas during election campaigns. The root comes from candidus ("shining" or "bright"), which is also the source of the English word candidate.