der Spitzenkandidat, -en
leading candidate
Person, die von einer Partei als wichtigste Bewerberin oder wichtigster Bewerber für eine Wahl vorgestellt wird.
Meaning (English)
Spitzenkandidat means top candidate or lead candidate—the person presented as the main, most prominent candidate in an election or selection process.
A very common political use is the “Spitzenkandidat” system in EU politics: the lead candidate of a European party family for a top EU office (especially the President of the European Commission).
Word parts (composition)
- Spitze = “top”, “peak”, “leading position”
- Kandidat = “candidate”
Together: the candidate at the top / the leading candidate.
Common contexts / nuances
- Politics: the main candidate of a party for an office (e.g., der Spitzenkandidat der Partei).
- More generally: the strongest or most likely-to-win candidate in any competitive selection.
German synonyms
- Topkandidat
- Hauptkandidat
- Frontrunner (loanword, often used in political reporting)
- führender Kandidat (phrase)
- aussichtsreichster Kandidat (emphasizes “most promising”)
German antonyms (if applicable)
Not fixed single-word opposites, but common contrasts include:
- Außenseiter (underdog)
- Nachzügler (laggard, trailing behind)
- unbedeutender Kandidat / weniger aussichtsreicher Kandidat (less promising candidate)
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Examples
Der Spitzenkandidat hält eine Rede vor der Wahl.noun
The leading candidate is giving a speech before the election.
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