pundit

noun

pun·​dit ˈpən-dət How to pronounce pundit (audio)
1
: pandit
2
: a learned person : teacher
3
: a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media : critic
punditry 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.

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Veteran boxing pundit Teddy Atlas recently offered his opinion on Jones and his time with the UFC heavyweight crown. Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025 His on-screen style was smooth and, ironically, given the way his BBC career has ended, uncontroversial, preferring to let his pundits sound off on the game’s big issues. Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 19 May 2025 Soccer pundit Gary Lineker will leave the BBC sooner than planned following an antisemitism row, the corporation has confirmed. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 May 2025 During that entire time, the fans demanded the dismissal of general manager Nico Harrison, the architect of the deal to send Dončić to the City of Angels, and pundits declared that the Mavericks had just made a potentially franchise killing move. Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 13 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for pundit

Word History

Etymology

Hindi paṇḍit, from Sanskrit paṇḍita, from paṇḍita learned

First Known Use

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pundit was in 1661

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Pundit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pundit. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pundit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!