by-election

noun

by-elec·​tion ˈbī-ə-ˌlek-shən How to pronounce by-election (audio)
variants or less commonly bye-election
: a special election held between regular elections in order to fill a vacancy

Examples of by-election in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Liberal Party has lost other by-elections over the course of the summer. Jasmine Baehr, Fox News, 18 Sep. 2024 But the media and public accused him of weak party management, and in parliamentary by-elections in April, the LDP lost all three seats being contested in what was viewed as punishment by voters. Arata Yamamoto, NBC News, 14 Aug. 2024 In February, the Workers Party of Britain leader, George Galloway, won a by-election in Rochdale by targeting Muslim voters, standing on an overtly pro-Palestinian platform. Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 June 2024 Khan’s political momentum has already translated to the ballot box, with his party winning 15 out of 20 electoral seats in by-elections for the Punjab provincial assembly held in July and six out of eight National Assembly seats in by-elections held in October. Madiha Afzal, Foreign Affairs, 24 Nov. 2022 See all Example Sentences for by-election 

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of by-election was in 1853

Dictionary Entries Near by-election

Cite this Entry

“By-election.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by-election. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!