unsuccessful candidate; rejected person
Refers to someone who failed an exam, screening, or selection process. Often used in educational or job application contexts.
There were many unsuccessful candidates in this year's exam.
Notifications will be sent to rejected applicants at a later date.
Antonym: a successful candidate or person who passed.
The state of failing or being rejected, not the person.
Compound of 不合格 (failure, rejection) + 者 (person).