canvass

1 of 2

verb

can·​vass ˈkan-vəs How to pronounce canvass (audio)
variants or less commonly canvas
canvassed; canvassing

transitive verb

1
: to go through (a district) or go to (persons) in order to solicit orders or political support or to determine opinions or sentiments
canvass voters
canvassed the neighborhood to solicit magazine subscriptions
2
a
: to examine in detail
specifically : to examine (votes) officially for authenticity
b
: discuss, debate
canvassed all the items on the agenda
3
obsolete : to toss in a canvas sheet in sport or punishment

intransitive verb

: to seek orders or votes : solicit
was canvassing for a seat in Congress
canvasser noun
or less commonly canvaser

canvass

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly canvas
: the act or an instance of canvassing
especially : a personal solicitation of votes or survey of public opinion
a house-to-house canvass to ascertain the vote before the election

Examples of canvass in a Sentence

Verb A team of volunteers is canvassing the city for the Republican Party. We go to every house to canvass voters. She is canvassing for one of the presidential candidates this year. The group has been canvassing neighborhoods to ask people to vote for him. The company canvassed several sites for a new factory.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Amid this turmoil, and ahead of the January transfer window, The Athletic has canvassed the views of 40 scouts from across the Premier League and EFL to test the temperature of the industry. Philip Buckingham, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024 But the inspector general's office determined that the FBI failed to canvass its field offices ahead of Jan. 6, 2021, to identify any intelligence, including from informants, about potential threats that day to Congress' certification of Biden's electoral win. Ryan Lucas, NPR, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
That margin was extended to 61 votes after the county canvass, which included a re-tabulation of absentee ballots in Battle Creek. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 27 Nov. 2024 The statewide canvass is scheduled for today and isn't expected to come with any drama. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for canvass 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

see canvas entry 1

Noun

see canvas entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1508, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun

circa 1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of canvass was in 1508

Dictionary Entries Near canvass

Cite this Entry

“Canvass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canvass. Accessed 20 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

canvass

1 of 2 verb
can·​vass ˈkan-vəs How to pronounce canvass (audio)
: to go through (a district) or go to (people) to ask for votes, contributions, or orders or to determine public opinion
canvasser noun

canvass

2 of 2 noun
: an act of canvassing

Legal Definition

canvass

verb
can·​vass
variants also canvas
canvassed also canvased; canvassing also canvasing

transitive verb

1
a
: to examine in detail
specifically : to examine (votes) officially for authenticity
b
: to make the subject of discussion or debate
2
: to go through (a district) or go to (persons) in order to solicit orders or political support or to determine opinions or sentiments

intransitive verb

: to seek or solicit orders or votes

More from Merriam-Webster on canvass

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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