elected
UK[ɪˈlɛktɪd]US[ɪˈlɛktɪd]
adj
chosen by voting
verb (past tense and past participle)
to choose someone for a public position by voting
Morpheme Breakdown
e
lect
ed
e
out
lect
choose
ed
adjective/verb suffix
Etymology
the word 'elected' originates from the latin verb eligere, meaning "to pick out, choose," which itself is composed of e- (out) and legere (to gather, pick, read). this latin root passed into english via old french elire. the core concept of choosing from among a group is preserved. the addition of the '-ed' suffix adapts the verb into its participial form, which functions both as the past tense and as an adjective describing the state of having been chosen, specifically through a formal process like voting.
Analysis
Structure: e (out) + lect (choose) + ed (adjective/verb suffix)
e: a latin prefix meaning "out" or "away from".
lect: from latin legere (to choose, gather, read), representing the core meaning of selection.
ed: an english suffix forming the past tense and past participle of verbs, or adjectives from verbs.
Examples
the newly elected mayor promised to focus on education reform.
she was elected to the board of directors last year.
the committee elected to postpone the decision until more data was available.