cater

American  

[key-ter] / ˈkeɪ tər /

verb (used without object)

caters, present (3rd person singular) catered, past participle, past catering present participle

1. to provide food, service, etc., as for a party or wedding.

   to cater for a banquet.

2. to provide or supply what amuses, is desired, or gives pleasure, comfort, etc. (usually followed by to orfor ).

   to cater to popular demand; to cater to an invalid.

   Synonyms:

   please, indulge, humor

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verb (used with object)

caters, present (3rd person singular) catered, past participle, past catering present participle

1. to provide food and service for.

   to cater a party.

cater British  

/ ˈkeɪtə /

verb

1. (intr; foll by for or to) to provide what is required or desired (for)

   to cater for a need

   cater to your tastes

2. to provide food, services, etc (for)

   we cater for parties

   to cater a banquet

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• uncatered
  adjective
• uncatering
  adjective
• cateringly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• catering
  present
• catered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• cater
  simple
• caters
  simple
• have catered
  perfect
• has catered
  perfect
• am catering
  progressive
• are catering
  progressive
• is catering
  progressive
• have been catering
  perfect progressive
• has been catering
  perfect progressive

Past

• catered
  simple
• had catered
  perfect
• was catering
  progressive
• were catering
  progressive
• had been catering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will cater
  simple
• will have catered
  perfect
• will be catering
  progressive
• will have been catering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of cater

First recorded in 1350–1400; verb use of obsolete cater, Middle English catour, variant of acatour “buyer,” from Anglo-French, from acat(er) “to buy” ( see cate) + -our -or ²

Explanation

To cater means to supply food for meetings or celebrations. If you're having a big barbecue party but would rather hang out with your friends than grill, you could pay someone to cater it. In Middle English, the food supply in a big household was known as the cates, and so to cater meant keeping the pantry full. These days, caterers don't do pantries. They cook food for many different households or offices. Cater has also come to mean "giving what is desired or needed." You might cater to your grandfather by bringing him tea, reading to him, and laughing at his bad jokes.

Example Sentences

Ricky Hatton's fight against Kostya Tszyu in June 2005 at Manchester Arena began at 02:00 to cater for American audiences, as did Joe Calzaghe's bout against Jeff Lacy in March 2006 at the same venue.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026

With new leadership and product releases, Tinder is trying to stay relevant as new platforms focus on in-person events and cater to younger users tired of swiping.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2026

But the current wave of spending by the wealthy looks so strong that companies are responding by raising prices and adopting business plans that cater to the elite.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 13, 2026

Brokerages that cater to those traders anticipate an overwhelming number of takers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

Expensive hotels line the coasts, but the town center doesn’t cater to tourists too much.

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart