plural polls
1
: an activity in which several or many people are asked a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something
The magazine conducted a poll to find out the favorite 100 movies of all time.
A recent poll shows a decrease in the number of teenagers who smoke.
2
a
: the record of votes that were made by people in an election
—usually plural
The polls show that she's ahead with 55 percent of the votes. = She's ahead in the polls with 55 percent of the votes.
b
British
: the number of votes made in an election
The candidate won with 55 percent of the poll. [=(US) vote]
3
: the places where people vote during an election
The polls are open until 8:00 tonight.
Voters went to the polls today. [=people voted today]
He was defeated at the polls. [=he lost the election]
polls; polled; polling
1
: to ask (several or many people) a question or a series of questions in order to get information about what most people think about something
The magazine polled its readers on their eating habits. [=the magazine took/conducted a poll of its readers to find out about their eating habits]
About half of the people polled had tried smoking.
2
: to receive (a specified number or percentage of votes) in an election
The conservative candidate polled more than 10,000 votes in the last election.
Cite this Entry
“Poll.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/poll. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
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