pundit
Americannoun
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a learned person, expert, or authority.
This pundit's formal instruction in history, philosophy, and political science prepared her for activism in many campaigns.
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a person who makes comments or judgments, especially in an authoritative manner; critic or commentator.
Opinions masquerade as news, while ill-informed pundits and vested interests cloud the issues and bend the truth into pretzels.
noun
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an expert
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(formerly) a learned person
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Also called: pandit. a Brahman learned in Sanskrit and, esp in Hindu religion, philosophy or law
Pronunciation
See tenet ( def. ).
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pundit
First recorded in 1665–75; from Hindi paṇḍit, from Sanskrit paṇḍita “learned man” (noun), “learned” (adjective); of uncertain origin; perhaps akin to prajñā́ “knowledge” ( see also pro 1 ( def. ), know 1 ( def. ))
Explanation
A pundit is a well-known expert, someone whose opinions show up on television, online, or in the newspaper. Some TV news programs are nothing more than a bunch of pundits arguing about current events. Why not just call them experts? Because pundit is a lovely word that is very close to its Sanskrit root, payndita-s, "learned man or scholar." Originally, a pundit was a "learned Hindu" or Sanskrit expert. Today's classic examples of the pundit are guests on talk radio and professional sports commentators, all brilliant dispensers of insights, statistics, and occasional hot air.
Vocabulary lists containing pundit
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English Words Derived from Hindi
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Pundit Micah Richards told Match of the Day that "you don't want to see goals being ruled out like that, we are talking inches".
From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026
Highland’s seminar at Bangkok's Dhurakij Pundit University in 2015 was a turning point.
From Salon • Aug. 7, 2024
Pundit and former super-featherweight world champion Barry Jones: I think Jessica McCaskill is a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter.
From BBC • May 11, 2024
Moss and Freeman’s attorneys are suing the Gateway Pundit, and their filing seeks to compel the site to turn over communications related to some of the “sources” for its stories.
From Slate • May 2, 2024
Pundit: There’re all these reports about how great a kid Emmanuel Rivers was.
From "Dear Martin" by Nic Stone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
