gerrymandering

1 of 2

noun

ger·​ry·​man·​der·​ing ˈjer-ē-ˌman-d(ə-)riŋ 

also ˈger-;

originally ˈger-

: 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 entry 1

gerrymandering

2 of 2

present participle of gerrymander entry 2

Examples of gerrymandering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In November, voters across the state will be asked to support or oppose Question Three, a constitutional amendment that would pave the way for additional gerrymandering. — Colin Pascal, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2026

And the outcome of state legislative and gubernatorial elections in November could create new possibilities for partisan gerrymandering in more states, including Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. — Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026

That’s what gerrymandering does — rig elections so that the winners are never in doubt. — Chris West, Baltimore Sun, 19 Sep. 2026

Hyperpartisanship and the gerrymandering wars have decreased the likelihood that either party will have a comfortable majority in the House any time soon. — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

gerrymander entry 2 + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1812, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gerrymandering

• meandering
• philandering
• pandering
• slandering