The word candidate usually refers to a person seeking an office, position, honor, or opportunity. It is common in elections, employment, education, and selection processes. Its history begins with a striking visual custom in ancient Rome: appearing before the public dressed in brilliant white.
1. The Latin Origin
Candidate comes from the Latin candidatus, meaning “clothed in white.” The term is related to candidus, meaning “bright” or “shining white,” and ultimately to the verb candēre, “to shine.” In ancient Rome, a man seeking public office wore a specially whitened toga known as the toga candida.
2. From White Clothing to Public Office
Roman office-seekers made themselves visible to voters by wearing these bright white garments while appearing in public places such as the Forum. Because the clothing identified the wearer as someone seeking election, candidatus developed from a description of appearance into a name for a person pursuing public office. English adopted candidate in the early seventeenth century with this political meaning.
3. The Modern English Meaning
Today, a candidate is not limited to politics. The word can describe someone applying for a job, being considered for an award, taking an examination, or meeting the requirements for a degree. It can also refer to a thing judged suitable for a particular purpose, as in “a candidate for restoration.” The white toga has disappeared, but the central idea remains: a candidate is someone or something presented for selection.
The journey of candidate runs from the shining white toga of ancient Rome to today’s elections, interviews, awards, and academic programs. A word that once identified a person by clothing now identifies anyone placed before others for judgment and choice.
Intellesia 
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