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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
Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
Other pundits disagree, arguing that companies are turning profits and the market is fundamentally sound.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025
The win streak has not only bolstered the feeling in the locker room, but even cooled down McDaniel’s hot seat in the eyes of many national pundits.
—Miami Herald, 20 Nov. 2025
But Monday’s lawsuit claims Netgear has been spreading misinformation about the company to journalists, pundits, and consultants all the while lobbying the US government.
—PC Magazine, 19 Nov. 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 5 Dec. 2025.
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