single-member district

noun

sin·​gle-mem·​ber district ˈsiŋ-gəl-ˈmem-bər- How to pronounce single-member district (audio)
variants or less commonly single-member constituency
: an electoral district or constituency having a single representative in a legislative body rather than two or more
In its first case declaring multimember districts unconstitutional in 1973, the Supreme Court declared that the Texas system of electing state representatives from county multimember districts, rather than single-member districts, discriminated against African-Americans and Latinos.Al Kauffman
compare multimember district

Examples of single-member district in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gerrymandering is not prescribed by the Constitution, nor are single-member districts. Jan-Werner Müller, Foreign Affairs, 6 Jan. 2022 With smaller, single-member districts, many rank-and-file lawmakers came to depend on leadership from party heads in the House and Senate for money and assistance in exchange for their loyalty. Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2024 Another is to introduce a single-member district system, hence reducing party bosses’ powers over the selection of candidates as part of the harmonization of laws and legislation preparing the ground for the introduction of the executive presidency system in 2019. Galip Dalay, Foreign Affairs, 9 May 2017 Hofer, who previously taught political science at the University of Houston, was one of three researchers who released a white paper in 2018 looking at the trade-offs between at-large voting systems and single-member districts. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024 Most districts across the country that have been ordered to change their school board election systems have adopted a single-member district model, in which voters elect candidates to represent their geographic areas, Levitt said. Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2024 Now, it is also served by five single-member district trustees and two members who are elected by voters across the entire district. Talia Richman, Dallas News, 18 Aug. 2023 The settlement agreement —announced Friday — lays out that the district will transition to five single-member districts and two at-large seats. Talia Richman, Dallas News, 18 Aug. 2023 Jail a single-member district, ensuring those incarcerated would have their own, singular representative. Time, 10 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'single-member district.' 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

1874, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of single-member district was in 1874

Dictionary Entries Near single-member district

Cite this Entry

“Single-member district.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/single-member%20district. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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