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Hustings are where babies are kissed, flesh is pressed, and media events are staged. The term traces to an Old Norse word meaning "house assembly," and 1000 years ago hustings were judicial assemblies where Anglo-Saxon kings and their followers held council and resolved civil disputes. Over time, "hustings" came to refer not only to the assembly but also to the platform where the leaders of such gatherings sat, and in due course the term was applied to the entire campaigning process as well. Nowadays, "on the hustings" is synonymous with "on the stump," and it can refer to any place along the campaign trail where a candidate makes a pitch for public office.
Examples of hustings in a Sentence
Danica Kirka, ajc, 21 Oct. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hustings.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hustings
Cite this Entry
“Hustings.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hustings. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hustings
noun plural
Old English hūsting "local court or assembly," from early Norse hūsthing "an assembly of the king's council," literally, "house assembly," from hūs "house" and thing "assembly"
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