cater

verb

ca·​ter ˈkā-tər How to pronounce cater (audio)
catered; catering; caters

intransitive verb

1
: to provide a supply of food
cater for a large party
2
: to supply what is required or desired
catering to middle-class tastes

transitive verb

: to provide food and service for
catered the banquet
caterer noun

Examples of cater in a Sentence

The restaurant caters for parties. A local restaurant catered the banquet. The awards ceremony will be a catered event.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In contrast to the Kennedy Center, which caters largely to an audience in Washington, D.C., the NEA and the NEH fund arts and cultural programs across the country. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 3 July 2025 That means food trucks, catering companies and out-of-town vendors. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Acosta and his wife, Heidi, were regulars of Basurto and eventually asked her to cater coffee for their wedding. Irene Adeline Milanez, Sacbee.com, 29 June 2025 These figures aren’t cheap — but remain comparatively so in contrast to The World, the only other residential cruise ship experience currently at sea, which caters for a more luxury market with a starting price of $2.5 million. Francesca Street, CNN Money, 26 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for cater

Word History

Etymology

obsolete cater buyer of provisions, from Middle English catour, short for acatour, from Anglo-French, from acater to buy — more at cate

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cater was in 1580

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cater. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

cater

verb
ca·​ter ˈkāt-ər How to pronounce cater (audio)
1
: to provide a supply of food
cater for parties
2
: to supply what is wanted or needed
caterer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cater

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!