vote

Definitions

vote comes straight from Latin vōtum, 'a vow or earnest wish.' Long ago, to vote for something meant to wish for it devoutly — to declare what you most wanted. In councils that earnest declaration became the formal act of choosing, and the wish hardened into the ballot. That hidden 'wish' is why we still cast a vote, as if launching a hope.

Why It Means This

The leap from 'a vow' to 'a ballot' is the whole story of this word. A Latin vōtum was a solemn wish offered to the gods. When people gathered to decide things, voicing your earnest wish was how a group made a choice — and over centuries that act of wishing-out-loud became the mechanical ballot we know. The original devotion drained away, leaving the pure machinery of choice, but the verb 'cast' still treats a vote like something hopeful you throw forward.

Common Collocations

• 1.cast a vote投票
• 2.vote for/against投票赞成/反对
• 3.popular vote普选票
• 4.vote of confidence信任投票
• 5.the right to vote投票权
• 6.vote on a proposal就提案表决

Example Sentences

• 1.

  Citizens over eighteen have the right to vote in national elections.

• 2.

  The proposal was approved by a narrow vote of 51 to 49.

• 3.

  She decided to vote for the candidate who promised lower taxes.

• 4.

  Members voted to postpone the meeting until next month.

• 5.

  Turnout was low, and the incumbent won fewer than half the votes.

Easily Confused

vote vs poll vs elect — A vote is the single act or ballot you cast. A poll is the count or survey of votes (or an opinion survey), and also the place you go to vote (the polls). To elect is the result — to choose someone into office by voting. You cast a vote at the polls in order to elect a candidate.