casting vote: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, parliamentary, legal, organizational
Quick answer
What does “casting vote” mean?
A deciding vote used by a chairperson or presiding officer to break a tie when votes are equally divided.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A deciding vote used by a chairperson or presiding officer to break a tie when votes are equally divided.
The procedural power granting authority to resolve deadlocks in formal decision-making bodies; metaphorically, any decisive intervention that resolves a stalemate.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Identical in core meaning; more common in UK parliamentary/committee contexts; in US, often called a "tie-breaking vote" or "deciding vote" in less formal settings.
Connotations
UK: strong parliamentary tradition, formal procedure. US: neutral procedural term, sometimes associated with vice-presidential role in Senate.
Frequency
Higher frequency in UK English due to entrenched parliamentary terminology.
Grammar
How to Use “casting vote” in a Sentence
The chairperson [verb: exercised/used] the casting vote.A casting vote [verb: was used/was exercised] to resolve the tie.She [verb: has/holds] the casting vote in the committee.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “casting vote” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The chairman may cast a vote only to break a tie.
- She will cast her vote should the numbers be equal.
American English
- The Vice President casts a vote in the Senate only to resolve a tie.
- The moderator can cast a vote if the committee is deadlocked.
adjective
British English
- The casting-vote procedure is outlined in Standing Order 47.
- He invoked his casting-vote authority.
American English
- The tie-breaking, or casting-vote, power rests with the chair.
- A casting-vote situation is rare in this board.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in board meetings or shareholder votes when directors are deadlocked.
Academic
Appears in political science, legal studies, and parliamentary procedure texts.
Everyday
Rare; used when describing formal committee decisions, e.g., a residents' association or club committee.
Technical
Parliamentary procedure, corporate governance, Robert's Rules of Order.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “casting vote”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “casting vote”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “casting vote”
- Using it for any important vote, not specifically a tie-breaker.
- Saying "casting a vote" (ordinary voting) instead of "casting vote" (the tie-breaking procedure).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually a chairperson, presiding officer, or a person designated by procedural rules (e.g., a company's managing director, committee chair).
No. It's not an extra regular vote; it's a specific procedural power activated only to break a tie.
No, only when the voting rules specifically grant it and when a genuine tie occurs.
They are synonyms, but 'casting vote' is the formal, traditional term (especially UK), while 'tie-breaking vote' is more descriptive and common in general US English.
A deciding vote used by a chairperson or presiding officer to break a tie when votes are equally divided.
Casting vote is usually formal, parliamentary, legal, organizational in register.
Casting vote: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɑːstɪŋ ˈvəʊt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkæstɪŋ ˈvoʊt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “to hold the casting vote”
- “the power of the casting vote”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a judge CASTING a final vote into a tied scales of justice to break the deadlock.
Conceptual Metaphor
A TOOL FOR UNBLOCKING (a procedural key to open a locked decision).
Practice
Quiz
In which situation would a 'casting vote' be used?