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

Unlike other states that have undergone explicitly political redistricting efforts this year, Florida prohibits partisan gerrymandering, thanks to the Fair Districts Amendment passed by voters in 2010. —Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 18 Dec. 2025

Indiana Republicans have pointed to blue states in New England and squiggly district lines in Illinois as evidence of widespread Democratic gerrymandering that Republicans need to counter. —Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 12 Dec. 2025

In Malaysia, the long-ruling coalition Barisan Nasional controlled virtually all traditional media, maintained a massive advantage in resources (few businesses dared donate to the opposition), and used gerrymandering and manipulation of voter rolls to tilt the electoral playing field. —Steven Levitsky, Foreign Affairs, 11 Dec. 2025

The Indiana Senate's 31-19 vote to kill the redistricting bill marks a major setback to Trump's mid-decade gerrymandering strategy for Republicans to hold on to control of the House in the 2026 midterm elections. —Joey Garrison, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025

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