Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To select by vote for an office or for membership.
  • transitive verb To pick out; select.
  • transitive verb To decide, especially by preference.
  • transitive verb To select by divine will for salvation. Used of God.
  • adjective Chosen deliberately; singled out.
  • adjective Elected but not yet installed. Often used in combination.
  • adjective Chosen for marriage. Often used in combination.
  • adjective Selected by divine will for salvation.
  • noun One that is chosen or selected.
  • noun One selected by divine will for salvation.
  • noun An exclusive group of people. Used with the:

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To pick out; select from among a number; specifically, in theology, to select, especially as an object of divine mercy or favor. See election, 6.
  • Hence To select for an office or employment by a majority or plurality (according to agreement) of votes; choose by ballot or any similar method: as, to elect a representative or a senator; to elect a president or mayor.
  • To choose; prefer; determine in favor of.
  • Synonyms Select, Prefer, etc. See choose.
  • Chosen; selected from among a number; taken in preference to others; specifically, in theology, chosen as the special objects of mercy or divine favor; chosen to eternal life.
  • Chosen to an office, as by vote, but not yet inaugurated, consecrated, or invested with office: in this sense usually after the noun: as, governor or mayor electricity
  • Of such a nature as to merit choice or preference; noble; exalted.
  • A person or persons chosen or set apart; one or more selected for a particular service or honor.
  • Those who are chosen by God to eternal life.
  • An abbreviation of electric and electricity.
  • noun An abbreviation of electrical;
  • noun of the Latin electuarium, electuary.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Chosen; taken by preference from among two or more.
  • adjective (Theol.) Chosen as the object of mercy or divine favor; set apart to eternal life.
  • adjective Chosen to an office, but not yet actually inducted into it
  • noun One chosen or set apart.
  • noun (Theol.) Those who are chosen for salvation.
  • transitive verb To pick out; to select; to choose.
  • transitive verb To select or take for an office; to select by vote.
  • transitive verb (Theol.) To designate, choose, or select, as an object of mercy or favor.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun uncountable (theology) In Calvinist theology, those foreordained to Heaven. In other Christian theologies: someone chosen by God for salvation
  • verb transitive To choose or make a decision (to do something)
  • verb transitive To choose (a candidate) in an election
  • adjective used only after the noun Who has been elected in a specified post, but has not yet entered office.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb choose
  • noun an exclusive group of people
  • adjective selected as the best
  • adjective elected but not yet installed in office
  • verb select by a vote for an office or membership

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English electen, from Latin ēligere, ēlēct-, to select : ē-, ex-, ex- + legere, to choose; see leg- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin electus, past participle of eligere ("to pick out, choose, elect"), from e- ("out") + legere ("to pick out, pick, gather, collect, etc."); see legend.

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Examples

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  • Choose the chosen?

    September 16, 2008

  • Chosen chooses.

    July 1, 2021