Synonyms of wonknext
: a person preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field
broadly : nerd
a policy wonk
a computer wonk
wonkery noun
wonkish
ˈwäŋ-kish How to pronounce wonk (audio)
ˈwȯŋ-
adjective
wonkishness noun

Examples of wonk in a Sentence

the policy wonks in the government the candidate has an army of policy wonks ready to write for him a position paper on virtually any issue
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.
Rafters, ranchers, anglers, hydrologists, energy wonks, and government officials have coordinated in the past to keep water in the river. Pete McBride, Time, 27 Feb. 2026 Elsewhere in the world, perhaps such a technical-sounding government decision would fall to the domain of data wonks and financial consultants. Isabel Debre, Fortune, 11 Feb. 2026 But what’s important at this moment, according to Democratic wonks and the party’s consulting class, is that the party does not respond to any of this with too much force, rhetorically speaking. Andrew Perez, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2026 The story skips over Ella’s rise from political wonk to lieutenant governor in the office of Albert Brooks’ avuncular Governor Bill. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wonk

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wonk was in 1954

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.

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