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noun B2 Upper-Intermediate Common

nominee

no-mih-NEE

Nominee (noun) means a person put forward as a candidate for an office, award, or position. Example: “All five nominees attended the award ceremony.”

noun
1
A person put forward as a candidate for an office, award, or position.
"All five nominees attended the award ceremony."
"The president's nominee for the court must be approved by the senate."

How to Use Nominee

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomeone who has been nominated for something.

Easily confused with
nominator
Common pairings
award nominee nominee for president

Word Forms

nominees plural

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Test yourself on “nominee” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

All five _____ attended the award ceremony.

Etymology

From nominate plus the suffix -ee, meaning "one to whom an action is done."

Related Words

Rhymes for nominee

See all rhymes for nominee →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “nominee” mean?

The word “nominee” means a person put forward as a candidate for an office, award, or position. In plain terms, someone who has been nominated for something.

How do you pronounce “nominee”?

“Nominee” is pronounced no-mih-NEE (/ˌnɒmɪˈniː/ in IPA).

How do you use “nominee” in a sentence?

Here is “nominee” used in a sentence: “All five nominees attended the award ceremony.”

What is another word for “nominee”?

Words with a similar meaning to “nominee” include nominatee.

What part of speech is “nominee”?

“Nominee” is a noun.

Is “nominee” a common word?

“Nominee” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

What is the difference between a "nominee" and a "candidate"?

A nominee is a person who has been formally put forward for an office, award, or position, usually by someone else's proposal. A candidate is anyone in the running, whether self-declared or nominated; every nominee is a candidate, but not every candidate has been formally nominated.

What is the difference between a "nominee" and a "winner"?

A nominee is someone put forward as a contender for an award or position, while a winner is the one actually chosen. At an awards ceremony, several nominees compete in each category, but only one becomes the winner.

What is the difference between a "nominee" and an "appointee"?

A nominee is proposed as a candidate and may still need to be approved, elected, or selected. An appointee has already been chosen and placed in the position, so nomination is often the step that comes before appointment.

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