pander

verb

pan·​der ˈpan-dər 

pandered; pandering ˈpan-d(ə-)riŋ  ; panders

intransitive verb

1

: to say, do, or provide what someone (such as an audience) wants or demands even though it is not good, proper, reasonable, etc.

… ignores doing the right thing … in favor of pandering for votes.

—George Ochenski

—usually used with to

… used his brilliant gifts to pander to popular taste.

—Hubert Saal

… TV that panders to the worst in us.

—Jill Parkin

… a political chameleon trying to pander to voters …

—Cameron Smith

2

: to act as a pander (see pander entry 2 sense 2)

panderer

ˈpan-dər-ər 

noun

plural panderers

Examples of pander in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After all, the name Polly Adler is known in and of itself, and arresting me for pandering is a feather in the cap for any cop or assistant district attorney. —Danielle Parker, CBS News, 9 June 2026

So politicians can pander to a xenophobic minority in their quest to hold onto power. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026

The final episode in the long-running Skywalker saga, The Rise of Skywalker, would open a month after the TV show’s debut, and play like a pandering answer track to its risk-taking predecessor, The Last Jedi. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2026

But the show does succeed in updating the stereotype, without pandering, and with the genuine authenticity that only photography can produce. —Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 18 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

derivative of pander entry 2

First Known Use

1641, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for pander

• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander
• laender
• lander
• sander
• slander
• stander
• zander

Kids Definition

pander

noun

pan·​der

ˈpan-dər

variants or panderer

-dər-ər

: one who takes advantage of or profits from the weaknesses and mean desires of others

pander verb

Legal Definition

pander

1 of 2 transitive verb

pan·​der ˈpan-dər 

: to sell or distribute by pandering

had no protected right to pander prurient materials

—Dunigan Enterprises v. DA for the Northern District, 415 N.E.2d 251 (1981)

intransitive verb

: to engage in pandering

counts included…conspiracy to pander and receive the earnings of a prostitute

—State v. Tocco, 750 P.2d 874 (1988)

pander

2 of 2 noun

: one who engages in pandering : panderer

Etymology

Middle English Pandare, character who procured for Troilus the love of Cressida in Troilus and Creseyde, poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (ca. 1342–1400)