gerrymandering

noun

ger·​ry·​man·​der·​ing ˈjer-ē-ˌman-d(ə-)riŋ 

also ˈger-;

originally ˈger-

: the practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections

To an untrained eye, the proposed boundaries look like the etchings of a mapmaker on heavy pharmaceuticals. In reality, it's a masterpiece of diabolical gerrymandering.

—Carl Hiaasen

Bipartisan gerrymandering following the 2000 reapportionment produced hundreds of safe Democratic seats, hundreds of safe Republican seats, and not much else.

—Peter Beinart

compare cracking, packing

Examples of gerrymandering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

White House officials are closely monitoring an alleged Utah scandal, leaning on Republicans there to delve further into ethics concerns about a relationship between two key players in a high-profile gerrymandering case, sources told CBS News. —Olivia Rinaldi, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Democrats pointed to 2010 constitutional amendments — known as the Fair Districts amendments — banning partisan gerrymandering. —Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 15 Apr. 2026

Unlike many other states, Florida’s constitution bans partisan gerrymandering. —Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026

Peter Magyar’s center-right Tisza trounced Orban’s Fidesz in parliamentary elections by a margin of nearly three-to-one, a stunning turn after so many years of Orban consolidating power with extrajudicial tools like gerrymandering, court-packing and the co-optation of an independent media. —Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

gerrymander entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gerrymandering

• meandering
• philandering
• pandering
• slandering