pander

1 of 2

verb

pan·​der ˈpan-dər How to pronounce pander (audio)
pandered; pandering ˈpan-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce pander (audio)

intransitive verb

: to act as a pander
especially : to provide gratification for others' desires
films that pander to the basest emotions
… used his brilliant gifts to pander to popular taste. Hubert Saal
panderer noun

pander

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: a go-between in love intrigues
b
: pimp
2
: someone who caters to or exploits the weaknesses of others

Did you know?

Distinctive Meanings of Procure

Procure, like many other English words, has a split personality. On the one hand, it may carry a perfectly benign meaning, such as "to obtain" (“she procured supplies”) or "to bring about" (“the settlement was successfully procured”). On the other hand, it has long been used in the specific sense of obtaining someone for, or bringing about, sexually promiscuous purposes. In this regard it is similar to the word pander, which entered the English language with the innocent meaning “a go-between in love intrigues” (the word comes from the name Pandare, a character in Chaucer’s poem Troilus and Criseyde who facilitates the affair between the titular characters), and soon after took on the meaning “pimp.”

Examples of pander in a Sentence

Noun an arrest record that revealed that he had variously been a pander, a pickpocket, and a drug dealer
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
As with views of fascism, attitudes on the candidates' truth-telling, pandering and avoiding explanations are strongly tied to partisanship and ideology. Gary Langer, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2024 Marketers should focus on providing clear and accurate information that empowers audiences to make informed decisions instead of pandering to them. Monica Alvarez-Mitchell, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 Politicians routinely pander to voters with ideas that sound appealing but are harmful in practice. Kristine Gill, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2024 So far, politicians haven’t had much reason to pander to the child-free; the group has been too fractured to be called a voting bloc. Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pander 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of pander entry 2

Noun

Middle English Pandare pandarus

First Known Use

Verb

1523, in the meaning defined above

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pander was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near pander

Cite this Entry

“Pander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pander. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

pander

noun
pan·​der
ˈpan-dər
variants or panderer
-dər-ər
: one who takes advantage of or profits from the weaknesses and mean desires of others
pander verb

Legal Definition

pander

1 of 2 transitive verb
pan·​der ˈpan-dər How to pronounce pander (audio)
: to sell or distribute by pandering
had no protected right to pander prurient materialsDunigan Enterprises v. DA for the Northern District, 415 N.E.2d 251 (1981)

intransitive verb

: to engage in pandering
counts included…conspiracy to pander and receive the earnings of a prostituteState v. Tocco, 750 P.2d 874 (1988)

pander

2 of 2 noun
: one who engages in pandering : panderer
Etymology

Noun

Middle English Pandare, character who procured for Troilus the love of Cressida in Troilus and Creseyde, poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (ca. 1342–1400)

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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