Did you know?
It’s no hot take to say that the original pundits were highly learned scholars and teachers in India; it’s just a statement of fact. Our English word pundit comes from the Hindi word paṇḍit, a term of respect (and sometimes an honorary title) for a wise person, especially one with knowledge of philosophy, religion, and law; its ultimate source is the Sanskrit word paṇḍita, meaning “learned.” English speakers have used pundit to refer to sages of India since the 1600s, but as is typically done with English, they eventually pushed the word into new semantic territory. By the late 1800s, pundit could also refer to a member of what is sometimes called the commentariat or punditocracy—that is, the collective group of political commentators, financial analysts, and newspaper columnists often paid to share their views on a variety of subjects.
Examples of pundit in a Sentence
Saige Miller, NPR, 30 Apr. 2026
Michele Tafoya knows the NFL media world better than most, which is why her take on the Dianna Russini-Mike Vrabel scandal carries more weight than the average media pundit.
—Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Mixed reactions from pundits to the draft There wasn’t an early consensus on how the 49ers came out of the draft.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2026
The Avs have not blown the doors off this team like many pundits predicted, given the chasm between the two clubs in the final NHL standings.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pundit
Cite this Entry
“Pundit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pundit. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy Citation
