Pundit

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈpÊŒn.dɪt/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒndɪt

Alternative forms

• pandit

Origin

From Hindi पण्डित, from Sanskrit पण्डित (paṇḍitá, "scholar, learned man, teacher, philosopher").

Full definition of pundit

Noun

1. A learned person in India; someone with knowledge of Sanskrit, philosophy, religion and law; a Hindu scholar. from 17th c.
• 1888, Rudyard Kipling, ‘On the City Wall’, In Black and White, Folio Society 2005, p. 430:Pundits in black gowns, with spectacles on their noses and undigested wisdom in their insides; bearded headmen of the wards; ... all these people and more also you might find in the white room.
2. (historical) A native surveyor in British India, trained to carry out clandestine surveillance beyond British borders.
• 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society 2010, p. 295:At every hundredth pace the Pundit would automatically slip one bead. Each complete circuit of the rosary thus represented ten thousand paces.
3. A self-professed expert in a particular field, especially as called upon to provide comment or opinion in the media; a commentator, a critic. from 19th c.
• 2006, The Observer, 4 Jun 2006:This week we introduce Jenny Walker, who will be The Observer's expert pundit for the duration of the World Cup.