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It’s no hot take to say that the original pundits were highly learned scholars and teachers in India; it’s just a statement of fact. Our English word pundit comes from the Hindi word paṇḍit, a term of respect (and sometimes an honorary title) for a wise person, especially one with knowledge of philosophy, religion, and law; its ultimate source is the Sanskrit word paṇḍita, meaning “learned.” English speakers have used pundit to refer to sages of India since the 1600s, but as is typically done with English, they eventually pushed the word into new semantic territory. By the late 1800s, pundit could also refer to a member of what is sometimes called the commentariat or punditocracy—that is, the collective group of political commentators, financial analysts, and newspaper columnists often paid to share their views on a variety of subjects.
Examples of pundit in a Sentence
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026
The American players don’t appreciate the fuel pundits have provided.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 18 June 2026
Liberal pundits suggested that Southgate had set out a more cohesive case for Englishness than the empty nostalgia offered by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson—and even that Southgate might do a better job.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 18 June 2026
Soccer pundits claim that a team needs at least a win and a draw (4 points) to improve their chances of moving into the Round of 32, and that is exactly what both Canada and Qatar will aim for.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for pundit
Cite this Entry
“Pundit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pundit. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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