1. A person who is applying for a job, running for election, or being considered for a position:
* Job applicant: "The candidates for the marketing manager position are impressive."
* Political contender: "The presidential candidate delivered a speech on the economy."
2. Something that is suitable or possible:
* Potential solution: "That new software is a good candidate for our business needs."
* Possible choice: "There are several candidate locations for our new office."
3. In chemistry and biology, a candidate refers to something that is being tested or researched:
* Drug development: "The researchers are testing several candidate drugs for Alzheimer's disease."
* Genome sequencing: "They identified several candidate genes associated with obesity."
Essentially, a candidate is someone or something that is being considered or put forward for a particular purpose.