eligible candidate

USAGE SUMMARY

"eligible candidate" is correct and commonly used in written English.
You may use it to refer to a person who meets the necessary qualifications or requirements to apply for something. For example, "Only eligible candidates will be considered for the job position."

✓ Grammatically correct

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

33 human-written examples

Its successful support program is staffed by Board-certified teachers and is open to any eligible candidate.

Stanford University

The credits would incentivize employers to look past their own biases, and would cost the government nothing unless an eligible candidate is hired.

The Washington Post

Designate "Experienced Hire" as the eligible candidate type in the job-post form and you will target both alumni and EMBA students.

Columbia University

The writers, Steinbrenner said, "clearly made up their own rules to determine who was and was not eligible for the award and disqualified an eligible candidate who could have won".

The New York Times - Sports

On Oct. 25 a judicial panel removed the new governor of Rivers State, Celestine Omehia, ruling that he had not been an eligible candidate because he did not win his party's primary.

The New York Times

And while this looked a pedestrian test, by Grade One standards, his performance qualifies him as Ireland's most eligible candidate for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup, for which he is 14-1 from 20-1 withethe sponsors.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

27 human-written examples

Potentially eligible candidates then are invited to complete an intake assessment to assess eligibility and collect baseline data.

BMC Psychiatry

And there are few eligible candidates for this role.

The Economist

The Law School Office of Financial Aid will identify three financial aid eligible candidates.

Cornell University

There are eligible candidates among these, like lead borate glasses and lead borosilicate glasses.

Proceedings of the Twentieth International Cryogenic Engineering Conference (ICEC20)

A third of the eligible candidates in competitions for high court judges are already women.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "eligible candidate", ensure the context clearly defines the specific requirements or criteria the candidate must meet. For instance, "an eligible candidate for the scholarship must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher."

Common error

Avoid using "eligible candidate" without specifying the criteria for eligibility. Instead of saying "We need an eligible candidate", specify "We need an eligible candidate with experience in project management".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "eligible candidate" functions as a noun phrase, where "eligible" modifies "candidate". It typically serves to identify and describe an individual who meets the necessary criteria for a specific role, position, or opportunity, as confirmed by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Academia

33%

Science

33%

News & Media

31%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Encyclopedias

2%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "eligible candidate" is a grammatically correct and very common term used to denote an individual who meets specific requirements for a role, position, or opportunity. As affirmed by Ludwig, its function is to identify and describe such individuals, with the primary purpose of specifying that they satisfy particular criteria. The phrase is suitable for neutral to professional contexts, particularly in academia, science, and news media. Common errors include overgeneralizing eligibility without specifying the criteria. Related phrases include "qualified applicant" and "suitable nominee". Understanding its usage helps in clear and precise communication across diverse settings.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

qualified applicant

Emphasizes the application aspect and qualifications of the person.

suitable nominee

Focuses on the nomination aspect, implying a formal selection process.

qualified contender

Highlights the competitive nature and qualifications of the person.

fitting prospect

Suggests potential and suitability for a future role or position.

appropriate individual

A more generic term emphasizing the individual's appropriateness.

deserving participant

Highlights the fairness aspect of the selection, indicating the person earned the eligibility.

viable option

Focuses on the person as one possibility among others that meet the criteria.

acceptable applicant

Indicates that the person meets the basic requirements, but may not be the best.

potential selectee

Emphasizes the potential for being chosen, highlighting an upcoming selection process.

appropiate selection

Focuses on the correctness of selection to make.

FAQs

How to use "eligible candidate" in a sentence?

You can use "eligible candidate" to refer to someone who meets the requirements for something. For example, "Only an "eligible candidate" will be considered for the position".

What can I say instead of "eligible candidate"?

You can use alternatives like "qualified applicant", "suitable nominee", or "qualified contender" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "eligible candidate" or "eligible candidates"?

Both are correct. "Eligible candidate" refers to a single person, while "eligible candidates" refers to multiple people.

What's the difference between "eligible candidate" and "preferred candidate"?

"Eligible candidate" means someone who meets the minimum requirements. "Preferred candidate" indicates someone who is favored or considered the best choice, even if other candidates are also "eligible candidates".