selectorate: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

No. While related, 'electorate' generally refers to all those eligible to vote in a given area. 'Selectorates' is a theoretical term for those with institutionalised selection power, which in a full democracy is the electorate, but in other systems could be a much smaller group like party members or a royal council.

Almost never. It is a specialised term from political science. Using it in everyday conversation would likely cause confusion.

In Selectorate Theory, the selectorates is the pool of potential supporters. The winning coalition is the smaller, crucial subset of the selectorates whose support is essential for the leader to retain power. A leader must please the winning coalition, but only needs to keep the wider selectorates content enough not to rebel.

It is rare even in high-level political journalism. It is predominantly an academic term. Journalists are more likely to use terms like 'party base', 'electorate', or 'key voters'.

The group of individuals within a larger population who have a formal role in selecting or electing a leader or representatives.

Selectorate is usually academic, political science, formal in register.

Selectorate: in British English it is pronounced /sɪˈlɛktərɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /səˈlɛktərɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.