éligible

Éligible is a French adjective used to describe a person or entity that meets the legally defined requirements to be elected to a public office or to receive a benefit or entitlement. In politics, it is most commonly applied to a candidate who is allowed to stand for election or to hold office under the electoral law of a given jurisdiction. The related noun éligibilité denotes the state of being eligible, while inéligibilité (or inéligible) denotes the opposite.

Etymology: The term comes from Latin eligibilis, meaning “able to be chosen,” from eligere “to choose.” It entered French through historical usage and is now widely used in official texts, legal language, and journalism to describe compliance with electoral or program rules.

Context and scope: Eligibility criteria vary by country and by office. Typical conditions include a minimum age, citizenship or residency requirements, and the absence of disqualifications such as certain criminal convictions, bankruptcy, or other legal prohibitions. Some systems add requirements like the collection of support signatures or the payment of fees. Eligibility is distinct from suffrage; being eligible to be elected does not automatically confer the right to vote, which is governed by separate rules in each jurisdiction.

See also (related concepts): éligibilité, candidature, suffrage, disqualification, admissible. In everyday use, éligible helps specify who may legitimately pursue or receive a given office or benefit under the law.