gerrymandering

noun

ger·​ry·​man·​der·​ing ˈjer-ē-ˌman-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce gerrymandering (audio)
also ˈger-;
originally ˈger-
Synonyms of gerrymanderingnext
: the practice of dividing or arranging a territorial unit into election districts in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage in elections
To an untrained eye, the proposed boundaries look like the etchings of a mapmaker on heavy pharmaceuticals. In reality, it's a masterpiece of diabolical gerrymandering.Carl Hiaasen
Bipartisan gerrymandering following the 2000 reapportionment produced hundreds of safe Democratic seats, hundreds of safe Republican seats, and not much else.Peter Beinart
compare cracking, packing

Examples of gerrymandering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Those included new voter ID laws, the purging of voter registration rolls and gerrymandering. Allison Mashell Mitchell, The Conversation, 1 Apr. 2026 Continue reading … POLITICAL PIVOT — Virginia Democrat says his party is ‘completely wrong’ on gun rights and gerrymandering. FOXNews.com, 30 Mar. 2026 His efforts follow successful gerrymandering in states including Texas, which will hand Republicans five extra seats in the House. Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 25 Mar. 2026 Sue Halpern hosts the attorney and voting rights expert Marc Elias for a wide-ranging conversation on threats to American voting rights, including gerrymandering, ballot seizures, and the SAVE Act. Sue Halpern, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gerrymandering

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gerrymandering was in 1812

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Cite this Entry

“Gerrymandering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gerrymandering. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.

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