The process of choosing someone through voting, or choosing to do something by making a conscious decision.
From Latin 'eligere' (e- 'out' + legere 'to choose/read'). The political meaning became dominant in modern democracies.
The original Latin 'eligere' meant to 'pick out from a list'—which is exactly what happens when you vote, making the word perfectly describe what elections actually do!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.