general election

noun

1. U.S. Politics.

   1. a regularly scheduled local, state, or national election in which voters elect officeholders.

   2. a state or national election, as opposed to a local election.

2. British.,  an election, which must be held at any time within five years of the last election, in which constituents elect members of the House of Commons.

general election

noun

1. an election in which representatives are chosen in all constituencies of a state

2. a final election from which successful candidates are sent to a legislative body Compare primary

3. (in the US) a national or state election or (in Canada) a federal or provincial election in contrast to a local election

Word History and Origins

Origin of general election¹

An Americanism dating back to 1710–20

Example Sentences

After the party's success at May's local and mayoral elections, he argued the 2026 races for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd would be "an essential building block" ahead of a UK general election.

From BBC

As conference season begins for the UK's political parties, Reform UK will be seeking to use its gathering in Birmingham to maintain the momentum it has gathered since the general election.

From BBC

He was Scotland's only remaining Labour MP in 2015 after Labour lost 40 of its 41 seats in an SNP general election landslide.

From BBC

Rayner heavily leaned into that role and tried to use it to her party's advantage in the years before Labour's general election win in 2024.

From BBC

The Reform UK manifesto published ahead of last year's general election made commitments to slash income tax in particular, as well as large spending pledges on defence.

From BBC