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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
Ben Morse, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
In the movie, which has already been touted as a 2027 Oscar contender by awards pundits, Tatum plays the father of a young girl who is traumatized after witnessing a horrific crime in a public park.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Many pundits believe the overall unit is among the best in the league.
—Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
Still, Paul Thomas Anderson — the season’s early juggernaut — remains a formidable contender among pundits.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 4 Feb. 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 12 Feb. 2026.
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