Vote

How to spell vote

4 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce vote

What does vote mean?

1. verbTo formally express a choice or preference in an election or decision.
2. nounA formal expression of choice, or the right to make such a choice.

Vote in a sentence

• verb

  Millions of citizens will vote in the coming election.

• noun

  The motion passed by a single vote in the council.

• verb

  The committee agreed to vote on the proposal next week.

• noun

  Every vote was carefully counted before the result was announced.

Where does vote come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word goes back to the Latin votum, which meant 'a vow, a wish, or a solemn promise made to a god', formed from the verb vovere, 'to vow or pledge'. In its earliest religious sense a votum was something earnestly desired and dedicated, and that flavour of expressing a wish survives in the modern idea of stating a preference at the ballot box. English adopted it in the fifteenth century, first in Scotland, with the meaning of a formal expression of will or choice in an assembly. The same Latin root still shows through in the related word 'votive', used of candles or offerings made to fulfil a vow. The spelling stayed close to the Latin original, so the long 'o' and the single 't' rarely cause real trouble.

How the word is built

• vot (from Latin votum: a vow or wish)
• -e