Pollster
/ˈpoʊlstər/
nounB2
Definition
A pollster is someone who asks many people questions to learn their opinions or feelings about something. Usually, pollsters work to understand what people think about elections, government, or social issues by collecting and studying survey answers.
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See It in Action
A person who conducts opinion surveys or polls
- •The pollster called thousands of people to ask about their voting plans.
- •Pollsters use questions to predict election results.
- •The pollster's data showed that most people support the new law.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of a pollster like a "question asker," but a professional who carefully plans and studies many answers.
- ✓Picture someone with a clipboard or computer, talking to many people or calling them on the phone to ask the same questions.
- ✓It’s the feeling of curiosity when you want to know what most people think about a big event like an election.
- ✓Sounds like "poll" + "ster" → Imagine a "poll" (a group of questions) and "ster" like "monster" who collects many answers.
- ✓Think of news shows that say, "According to the pollster, most people want change"—someone who helps us understand public opinion.
- ✓NOT like "voter" (a person who votes), a pollster is the person who asks the voters what they think.
- ✓NOT like "journalist" (writes news stories), a pollster focuses only on collecting and analyzing opinions.
- ✓NOT like "politician" (makes laws or governs), a pollster studies what politicians’ voters think.
Try Other Words
- •Surveyor: someone who asks questions to collect information (Use when talking generally about asking questions, not only about opinions)
- •Researcher: someone who studies information carefully (Use when the focus is on studying data, not just asking questions)
- •Interviewer: someone who asks questions directly to a person (Use when focusing on the act of asking questions one by one)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "poll" (a survey or vote) + suffix "-ster" (a person who does something)
- •Etymology: "Poll" comes from old English meaning "head" or "count," later used for voting; "-ster" is an old suffix meaning "person who does"
- •Historical development: The word "pollster" started in the 20th century with the rise of opinion polling and surveys
- •Modern usage: Used mostly in politics and social science for people who collect and analyze public opinion data
Reflect & Connect
•How might a pollster’s work affect the way people vote or think about politics?
•Can the results from a pollster always be trusted? Why or why not?
Fill in the blanks
1.A pollster asks many people questions to ___ their opinions about a topic.
2.Pollsters often work during elections to ___ how people might vote.
3.Unlike a politician, a pollster does not make decisions but ___ what people think.
4.When a pollster finds unexpected results, it can ___ the way news reports the election.
5.Pollsters usually use ___ methods like phone calls or online surveys to collect data.
6.A pollster’s job is different from an interviewer because a pollster ___ many people, not just one.
7.The accuracy of a pollster’s work depends on the ___ of people they ask and the questions they use.