I. ə̇ˈlekt, ēˈl- sometimes ˈēˌl- adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin & Latin; Late Latin electus chosen of God, from Latin, choice, excellent, selected, from past participle of eligere
1. : chosen especially by preference or for excellence : carefully selected : exclusive , choice
considered themselves a very elect group
2.
a. : chosen for office or position but not yet installed — usually used after the noun
president- elect
delegate- elect
b. : chosen for marriage at some future time to a specified person
bride- elect
3. : chosen as an object of divine mercy of favor : set apart for eternal life — used in theology
to elect souls a Redeemer comes down who reveals the secret knowledge — W.F.Howard
II. ə̇ˈl-, ēˈl- noun
( plural elect )
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin & Latin electus, adjective & noun
: one chosen or set apart:
a. : one chosen by God as the object of mercy or favor
the emperor was the elect of God — R.M.French
they were of the elect , those chosen by God — J.C.Brauer
b. : a select or exclusive group of people
her status changed from that of “outsider” to one of the elect when her classmates discovered that she could sing F above high C — Current Biography
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English electen, from Latin electus, past participle of eligere to pick out, choose, select, from e- + -ligere (from legere to gather, pick out, choose) — more at legend
transitive verb
1. : to make a selection of : choose
having elected deliberately … that stern land and weather — William Faulkner
concentrators in geological sciences elect either geology or geography — Official Register of Harvard University
2. : to choose (a person) for an office, position, or membership
elect a chairman
elect a leader
elect a member of a board
especially : to select (a person) for political office by vote
elect the president of the U.S.
3. : to choose (a course of action) especially by preference : decide upon
elected suicide as a preferable fate — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
received the opening kickoff and elected to punt — Harry Molter
4. : to designate or choose as an object of divine mercy or favor
Wyclif argued that the true Church is made up only of those elected by God — K.S.Latourette
intransitive verb
: to make a selection : choose
what is worse still is the power of the big company to ruin the individual as capriciously as it elects — Robert Lekachman
Synonyms: see designate
IV. abbreviation
1. electric; electrical; electrician; electricity
2. electuary