kandidaat

Kandidaat is a Dutch noun for a person who is proposed or eligible for a position, election, award, or honor. The term comes from Latin candidatus, via Old French candidat, and is related to the word candidus meaning white; historically, candidates sometimes wore white as a sign of their status. In modern Dutch, kandidaat denotes someone who stands for office or is under consideration in a selection process.

In politics and elections, a kandidaat is someone who has been put forward to be elected or appointed. A party or group may publish a kandidatenlijst (list of candidates), and voters choose among them. The process of proposing candidates is called kandidaatstelling or kandidatuur, and the most prominent candidate on a list is often the lijsttrekker.

In employment and other competitive procedures, a kandidaat is a person who has applied for a job or program and is evaluated for fit. Depending on context, sollicitant (applicant) may be used, but kandidaat highlights the stage of being shortlisted or under consideration for the opening.

In education and other honors contexts, kandidaat can indicate someone eligible for an award or degree, though specific terms vary by country and institution; in some cases more precise terms such as promovendus for doctoral candidates or other titles are used.