by-election

American

[bahy-i-lek-shuhn] / ˈbaɪ ɪˌlɛk ʃən /

Or bye-election

noun

a special election, not held at the time of a general election, to fill a vacancy in Parliament.

by-election British

noun

(in the United Kingdom and other countries of the Commonwealth) an election held during the life of a parliament to fill a vacant seat in the lower chamber
(in the US) a special election to fill a vacant elective position with an unexpired term

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of by-election

First recorded in 1875–80; by- + election

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But she told Newscast she accepted "collective responsibility" for the decision because of the mayoral by-election concern.

From BBC

First off, in this by-election and elsewhere, Polanski and Farage both make politicians from the traditional parties incredibly nervous for one simple reason: they can sometimes beat them.

From BBC

A by-election in Greater Manchester might seem somewhat distant from Scotland - several hundred miles away at best, across a border.

From BBC

There are so many implications of the Gorton and Denton by-election that are essential to understand, but it's best first to dwell on the winner: the Greens.

From BBC

The Conservatives came fourth with just 706 votes - the party's worst ever by-election result.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023