gerrymander

1 of 2

noun

ger·​ry·​man·​der ˈjer-ē-ˌman-dər How to pronounce gerrymander (audio)
 also  ˈger-;
originally
ˈger- How to pronounce gerrymander (audio)
1
: the act or method of gerrymandering
2
: a district or pattern of districts varying greatly in size or population as a result of gerrymandering
three new gerrymanders

gerrymander

2 of 2

verb

gerrymandered; gerrymandering; gerrymanders

transitive verb

1
: to divide or arrange (a territorial unit) into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage : to subject to gerrymandering
The government gerrymandered urban districts to create rural majorities.Matthew Reiss
2
: to divide or arrange (an area) into political units to give special advantages to one group
gerrymander a school district

Did you know?

Elbridge Gerry was a respected politician in the late 1700s and early 1800s. He signed the Declaration of Independence, served as governor of Massachusetts (1810-1811), and was elected vice president under James Madison. While governor, he tried to change the shape of voting districts to help members of his political party get elected. His system resulted in some very oddly shaped districts, including one (Gerry’s home district) that looked a little like a newt. Upon seeing a map of the bizarre regional divisions, a member of the opposing party drew feet, wings, and a head on Gerry’s district and said “That will do for a salamander!” Another member called out “Gerrymander!” Thus gerrymander became a term for such political schemes.

Examples of gerrymander in a Sentence

Verb gerrymandering urban districts to give rural voters a majority
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The legislation limits a project’s ability to gerrymander maps, and sets aside funds to monitor for wrongdoing. Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 Of course, even that only speaks to the strength of the existing gerrymander. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 26 Oct. 2023 This thin majority is crucial, given that the court’s conservative majority had pushed the state right on a number of key issues and cemented an absurd, pro-Republican gerrymander. Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic, 13 Oct. 2023 Democrats, activated by the Dobbs decision and a gerrymander that had left Republicans with a dominant position in the state Legislature, ponied up with big money. Andy Kroll, ProPublica, 11 Oct. 2023 But on Wednesday, the question was whether South Carolina’s new map — which moved Black voters from one congressional district to another — was a permissible gerrymander to bolster the Republican majority or an unconstitutional attempt to sort voters by race. Robert Barnes, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023 Civil rights advocates quickly challenged the map as a racial gerrymander allegedly designed with a discriminatory purpose under the 14th and 15th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Donna M. Owens, NBC News, 20 Oct. 2023 The North Carolina Supreme Court, which is technically nonpartisan but had a 4-3 liberal majority at the time, struck down the maps in 2022 by concluding that the gerrymanders had violated the state constitution. Matt Ford, The New Republic, 26 Oct. 2023 Washington — The Supreme Court is set to consider Wednesday whether the lines of a congressional district in South Carolina are a racial gerrymander that violates the Constitution in a case that tests the intertwining of race and politics. Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2023
Verb
In a place where 90-plus percent of members hold safe and often gerrymandered seats, where 90-year-old Sen. Charles Grassley is in his eighth term, something tells us that’s just not happening. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2024 Over the same period, the foundation’s advocacy and lobbying arm, the Berger Action Fund, has given more than $343 million to liberal groups, among them ones fighting Republican efforts to gerrymander electoral districts and funding Democratic super PACs. Emily Birnbaum, Fortune, 25 Jan. 2024 Days before a scheduled trial, Miami will attempt to settle a federal lawsuit accusing the city of adopting an unconstitutional, racially gerrymandered voting map in 2022. Joey Flechas, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024 Over Democratic objections, voters — encouraged by Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger — ended the Legislature’s sordid practice of gerrymandering legislative and congressional districts for partisan advantage. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2024 Texas Democrats, still a minority and gerrymandered to stay that way, do have hope. Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023 Republicans accused Democratic lawmakers of gerrymandering the state’s southernmost congressional district in the 2021 congressional map. Eden Villalovas, Washington Examiner, 27 Nov. 2023 Few of the retirements thus far appear likely to alter the balance of power in Congress, where the vast majority of House seats are gerrymandered to be safe for one party or the other. Kayla Guo, New York Times, 26 Nov. 2023 Any number of odd, zigzag examples can be used to make the case that legislative districts in Wisconsin are excessively gerrymandered. Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gerrymander.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Elbridge gerry + salamander; from the shape of an election district formed during Gerry's governorship of Massachusetts

Verb

derivative of gerrrymander entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gerrymander was in 1812

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Dictionary Entries Near gerrymander

Cite this Entry

“Gerrymander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerrymander. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gerrymander

1 of 2 noun
ger·​ry·​man·​der ˌjer-ē-ˈman-dər How to pronounce gerrymander (audio) ˈjer-ē-ˌman-dər How to pronounce gerrymander (audio)
 also  ˌger-,
ˈger-
: the act or result of gerrymandering

gerrymander

2 of 2 verb
gerrymandered; gerrymandering
-d(ə-)riŋ
: to divide (as a state) into election districts so as to give one political party an advantage over its opponents
Etymology

Noun

from Elbridge Gerry, former governor of Massachusetts, and salamander; so called from the shape of an election district formed during Gerry's term in office

Legal Definition

gerrymander

1 of 2 noun
1
: the act or method of gerrymandering
2
: a district or pattern of districts varying greatly in size or population as a result of gerrymandering

gerrymander

2 of 2 transitive verb
gerrymandered; gerrymandering
1
: to divide (a territorial unit) into election districts to give one political party an electoral majority in a large number of districts while concentrating the voting strength of the opposition in as few districts as possible
2
: to divide (an area) into political units to give special advantages to one group
gerrymander a school district
Etymology

Noun

Elbridge Gerry (1744–1814) + salamander; from the shape of an election district formed during Gerry's governorship of Massachusetts

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