superdelegate
noun
su·per·del·e·gate
ˈsü-pər-ˌde-li-gət 
US politics
: a person who is chosen as a delegate to a political party's presidential nominating convention because of his or her status as a leader or official within the party and who is free to vote for any candidate regardless of the results of the popular vote in primary elections and caucuses preceding the convention
Superdelegates were invented by the Democrats after the 1980 election in the expectation that in any future close nomination race, they would line up behind the establishment candidate and head off the possibility of a ruinous floor fight at the convention.—
Matt Bai
Matt BaiExamples of superdelegate in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Here's what to know about delegates and superdelegates after Joe Biden dropped out.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 21 July 2024
That group includes some party officials — superdelegates — who are barred from voting to nominate on the first ballot.
—Michael Scherer, Washington Post, 13 July 2024
In the event that no single candidate secures a majority of votes in the initial round, a scenario that could potentially lead to an open convention, superdelegates—comprising 700 unpledged delegates—would retain the ability to vote in subsequent rounds.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 21 July 2024
If no candidate wins the majority of the roughly 4,000 delegates, then the party's more than 700 superdelegates, or automatic delegates, will be able to vote at the convention.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for superdelegate 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
James Powel, USA TODAY, 21 July 2024
That group includes some party officials — superdelegates — who are barred from voting to nominate on the first ballot.
—Michael Scherer, Washington Post, 13 July 2024
In the event that no single candidate secures a majority of votes in the initial round, a scenario that could potentially lead to an open convention, superdelegates—comprising 700 unpledged delegates—would retain the ability to vote in subsequent rounds.
—Nik Popli, TIME, 21 July 2024
If no candidate wins the majority of the roughly 4,000 delegates, then the party's more than 700 superdelegates, or automatic delegates, will be able to vote at the convention.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 21 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for superdelegate
Articles Related to superdelegate
Dictionary Entries Near superdelegate
Cite this Entry
“Superdelegate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superdelegate. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share