write-in

1 of 2

noun

1
: a vote cast by writing in the name of a candidate
2
: a candidate whose name is written in

write in

2 of 2

verb

wrote in; written in; writing in; writes in

transitive verb

1
: to insert in a document or text
2
a
: to insert (a name not listed on a ballot or voting machine) in an appropriate space
b
: to cast (a vote) in this manner

Examples of write-in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In 2016, 6% of voters cast ballots for third-party and write-in candidates. Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024 In the 2016 primary election, Republican Marco Antonio Leal and Libertarian Baron Bruno — both write-in candidates — tied for second with 32 votes in the District 62 state assembly race. Harriet Blair Rowan, The Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2024 That would include write-in candidates who qualify for the ballot. Kristen Taketa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Mar. 2024 Though Hayden ran unopposed, a sizable number of voters cast write-in ballots for sheriff in 2020. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Organizers of the protest vote in Arizona are urging Democrats to vote for Marianne Williamson instead of Biden since there isn't an uncommitted or write-in option on the ballot. Libby Cathey, ABC News, 18 Mar. 2024 Antczak is running as a write-in after having been removed from the ballot over a paperwork error. Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 8 Mar. 2024 Yet Biden won that Jan. 23 primary as a write-in candidate regardless. Jeongyoon Han, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 New England Democrats mounted a determined write-in effort for Mr. Biden, hoping to avoid an embarrassing loss. Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024
Verb
Nearly 90 percent of websites are written in just 10 languages (English, Russian, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Turkish, Portuguese, Italian, and Persian). Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024 The menu, which changes daily, was written in red ink on a dry-erase board above my table. The Enquirer, 12 Apr. 2024 Local Call writes in Hebrew, and it’s mainly directed at the Israeli Hebrew-reading population, and +972 is in English. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 12 Apr. 2024 Despite Nguyen’s novel being written in English, Vietnamese and French had to be spoken and subtitled in the show. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024 During the most recent campaign, divers removed 34 ancient pottery vessels from the stern of the ship and found some unique markings underneath, the museum wrote in an April 11 post on X, formerly Twitter. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024 The detractors say that this is really expanding and overstepping what the ATF and the DOJ can do, enforcing laws that aren't written in the statute. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024 That language is arguably broad enough to apply to more than just physicians, Jennifer Piatt, co-director of the Center for Public Health Law and Policy at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, wrote in an email. Stephanie Innes, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024 The ads were written in three different languages widely spoken in India: Hindi, Telugu, and English. Billy Perrigo, TIME, 2 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'write-in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of write-in was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near write-in

Cite this Entry

“Write-in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-in. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

write-in

1 of 2 noun
ˈrīt-ˌin
1
: a vote cast by writing in the name of a candidate
2
: a candidate whose name is written in

write in

2 of 2 verb
: to insert (a name not listed on a ballot or voting machine) in an appropriate space

More from Merriam-Webster on write-in

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