pundit

American  

[puhn-dit] / ˈpʌn dɪt /

noun

1. a learned person, expert, or authority.

   This pundit's formal instruction in history, philosophy, and political science prepared her for activism in many campaigns.

   Synonyms:

   savant, guru, sage

2. 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.

3. pandit.

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pundit British  

/ ˈpʌndɪt /

noun

1. an expert

2. (formerly) a learned person

3. Also called: pandit.  a Brahman learned in Sanskrit and, esp in Hindu religion, philosophy or law

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Pronunciation

See tenet ( def. ).

Other Word Forms

• punditic adjective
• punditically adverb

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” ( pro ¹ ( def. ), know ¹ ( def. ) )

Example Sentences

But pundits and fans have high hopes for her return, having missed out on qualifiers for next month's Winter Games.

From Barron's

Klobuchar will be seen by many pundits as the frontrunner in November's governor contest, as the best-known Democratic figure to declare their candidacy ahead of the primary elections.

From BBC

Lilleaas had a slightly larger role and more screentime, making it all the more likely that Fanning would be shut out of the race, as most pundits predicted.

From Salon

With an eye toward democratization, Thursday morning’s Oscar nominations painted a similar picture, as Academy voters fell more closely in line with wider viewing audiences over insider pundits.

From Salon

Some fans and pundits have questioned whether Pimblett deserves a title shot, but to him and the people closest to him, it was inevitable.

From BBC

Related Words

• buff
• cognoscenti
• expert
• intellectual
• philosopher
• professor
• scholar
• thinker