Did you know?
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
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2025
If middle-class investors are showing such fiscal wisdom, why aren’t pundits and other critics?
—Will Dunham, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025
The extension comes after Jimmy Kimmel Live was temporarily pulled from ABC's lineup in September, over comments the 58-year-old host made about the killing of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk.
—Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Dec. 2025
That aligns with most pundits’ view of the field.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pundit
Cite this Entry
“Pundit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pundit. Accessed 14 Dec. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share