gerrymandering

ger·ry·man·der·ing
G2E1R1R1Y4M3A1N1D2E1R1I1N1G2
US, UK/ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də.ɹɪŋ/US, UK, rare/ˈɡɛ-/

noun

The practice of redrawing electoral districts to gain an electoral advantage for a political party.

UncommonScrabble 22

Meanings

gerrymandering1

noungerrymandering (usually uncountable, plural gerrymanderings)

plural gerrymanderings

  1. uncountableusuallygovernmentThe practice of redrawing electoral districts to gain an electoral advantage for a political party.
    1 more example

    "I joined the Congressman in fighting back against the Tennessee General Assembly's racist gerrymandering that will erase the voices of Black and brown voters in Nashville. […] Kent Syler, a professor of political science at Middle Tennessee State University, told Newsweek in an interview Tuesday evening that the "aggressive" gerrymandering will make it "very, very difficult" for Democrats to hold the seat in the 2022 midterms.

    2022 January 25, Andrew Stanton, “Jim Cooper Calls Out ‘Gerrymandering’ of Tennessee District, Will Not Seek Re-Election”, in Newsweek, archived from the original on 18 Apr 2022
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of gerrymander

Gerrymandering2

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of Gerrymander

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰey-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰeys-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰoysós
  4. Proto-Germanic*gaizaz
  5. Proto-Indo-European*h₂welh₁-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*h₂wl̥h₁-t-
  7. Proto-Germanic*wulþǭder.?
  8. Proto-Indo-European*welH-
  9. Proto-Indo-European*wélH-dʰe-ti
  10. Proto-Indo-European*we-wólH-dʰe-ti?
  11. Proto-Germanic*waldaną
  12. Proto-Germanic*waldaz
  13. Proto-Germanic*Gaizawaldaz
  14. Frankish*Gaiʀawald
  15. Old FrenchGerald
  16. EnglishGerald
  17. Proto-Germanic*gaizaz
  18. Proto-West Germanic*gaiʀ
  19. Proto-Indo-European*kret-der.?
  20. Proto-Germanic*harduz
  21. Proto-West Germanic*hard(ī)
  22. Frankish*Gaiʀahard
  23. Old FrenchGerart
  24. Middle EnglishGerard
  25. EnglishGerard
  26. EnglishGerry
  27. Ancient Greekσαλαμάνδρα (salamándra)
  28. Latinsalamandra
  29. Anglo-Normansalamandre
  30. Middle Englishsalamandre
  31. Englishsalamander
  32. Englishgerrymander
  33. Englishgerrymandering

From gerrymander + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

gerrymandering. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gerrymandering

MLA

“gerrymandering.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gerrymandering. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gerrymandering,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gerrymandering.

Source: gerrymandering on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.