pundit

noun

pun·​dit ˈpən-dət 

1

: pandit

2

: a learned person : teacher

3

: a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media : critic

punditry

ˈpən-də-trē 

noun

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.

Synonyms

• scholar

Examples of pundit in a Sentence

a moral question that has puzzled the pundits throughout the ages

the new mini laptop has gotten a thumbs-up from industry pundits

Recent Examples on the Web

The debates will often put him up against college women, who are often used as little more than window dressing to be both leered and laughed at, as opposed to, say, a gender-studies professor or career pundit. —Rebecca Jennings, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025

Anyone collecting a pound for every football fan or pundit opinion that Arsenal ‘must’ win a big prize or Arteta ‘needs’ a big trophy could quickly afford another £250million worth of talent. —Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025

However, conservative pundit Ann Coulter was the the true guest of dishonor, serving as the butt of many jokes that evening. —Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Sep. 2025

But this week, internet pundits seemed to believe the Rapture, an event that some evangelical Christians believe would basically mark the end of human history, would be taking place. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Hindi paṇḍit, from Sanskrit paṇḍita, from paṇḍita learned

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pundit

• pandit

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