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

See Examples For:

cater caters catered catering

The race to cater to more of them sparked a dealmaking frenzy among the fragmented financial-advisory business that Altruist serves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Although the group doesn’t perform in Korean — unless it’s for fun — they cater to K-pop fans, which is easy to do since they too are K-pop fans.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

Irene Ameja travelled from neighbouring Baringo county to cater to the crowds.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Neos and Innovator Capital — another ETF firm purchased by Goldman in a deal that was finalized earlier this year — both cater to this rapidly growing niche.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

“You'd think I have nothing else to do but cater to his demands!”

From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed

Halim Perdanakusuma, a smaller airport that caters to both civil and military flights, will also remain closed.

From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026

It’s a niche manufacturing business that caters to enterprising chefs and restaurateurs who are testing a concept or hitting the road for music festivals, farmers markets or a meal break at offices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

One person who used to work at the company has been in a debate with Eric Franklin, a wealth adviser who caters to tech-company employees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

DUP MP Jim Shannon highlighted this lack of oversight a sector that predominantly caters for "sleep-deprived and vulnerable parents".

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

My mother's parents were part of the small merchant class that caters to officials, Peacekeepers, and the occasional Seam customer.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Since then, the country club has catered to the blue-blood families who spend time in South Florida and famous residents, such as Julio Iglesias.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

UFO is just one of several ETFs catered to the business of space.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

It was as if the trailer catered to the fans who loved “The Devil Wears Prada” as an idea, rather than as a movie.

From Salon ● Apr. 20, 2026

Although he catered to rich people and hung out in posh nightclubs on the Westside, Louis said he made only about $50,000 a year and lived in an apartment in Burbank.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

Cheap Charlie’s was the penny candy store next to Carney’s which catered to the junk trade.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

The company has been pivoting to a broader platform and strategy — a “relationship-based selling” approach, whereby it focuses on catering to existing customers and selling them new products.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

He said schools needed "more investment" in catering facilities and in the "professional development" of school chefs to develop menus that "meet the ambitions" of the government.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

East Williamsburg is a sprawling obstacle course of shops and bars, all catering to the younger new residents who have moved to New York City in order to work hard and play harder.

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2026

Dollar General and other retailers catering to mainstream America said they used part of their tariff refunds to lower prices, hoping to further juice sales.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

I manage to brush my teeth, put a bandanna on over my insane hair and get dressed in my catering standard: checked pants and a white men’s T-shirt.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King