# pundit

> English word · Noun · IPA /pɐɳ.ɖɪt̪/ · frequency rank #26,924

## Definitions
1. An expert in a particular field, especially as called upon to provide comment or opinion in the media; a commentator, a critic.
2. A learned person in India; someone with knowledge of Sanskrit, philosophy, religion and law; a Hindu scholar.
3. A native surveyor in British India, trained to carry out clandestine surveillance beyond British borders.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Sanskrit पण्डा (paṇḍā)
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Proto-Indo-Iranian *-tás
Sanskrit -इत (-ita)
Sanskrit पण्डित (paṇḍita)bor.
Hindi पंडित (paṇḍit)bor.
Urdu پَنْڈِٹ (panḍiṭ)bor.
English pundit
Borrowed from Hindi पंडित (paṇḍit) / Urdu پنڈت (panḍit), from Sanskrit पण्डित (paṇḍita, “scholar, learned man, teacher, philosopher”). Doublet of pandit.

## Easily confused with
- **punt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pundit-vs-punt)
- **pulpit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pulpit-vs-pundit)
- **pandit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pandit-vs-pundit)

## Common misspellings (9)
`pnudit`, `ppundit`, `pudnit`, `punddit`, `punditt`, `pundti`, `punidt`, `punndit`, `upndit`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pundit