gerrymander
JERR-ee-man-der
/ˈdʒɛriˌmændər/
To manipulate the boundaries of an electoral constituency so as to favor one party or class.
Always carries a strongly negative, critical connotation implying political unfairness or manipulation.
The story behind the word. In 1812, Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts signed a bill redistricting the state to benefit his Democratic-Republican Party. One resulting district was so contorted that editor Benjamin Russell remarked it looked like a salamander. Political cartoonist Elkanah Tisdale added claws and wings, creating a graphic published in the Boston Gazette called 'The Gerry-mander'.
Word relationships
- redistrict unfair: 'Redistrict' is the neutral administrative verb, while 'gerrymander' explicitly denotes manipulative intention.
- fair redistricting: Redrawing district boundaries neutrally without political bias.
Commonly confused with
- redistrict: Redistricting is the routine, legal redrawing of boundaries; gerrymandering is doing so dishonestly for partisan gain.
Word family
- gerrymandering (noun): The practice of manipulating electoral boundaries.
Collocations
- gerrymander a district
- partisan gerrymander
- racial gerrymandering
Example sentences
- "State legislatures often attempt to gerrymander congressional districts to preserve power." Political commentary
- "The supreme court reviewed claims that the district map was intentionally gerrymandered along partisan lines." Legal challenge
Memory hook
GERRY + SALAMANDER = A weird, lizard-shaped district drawn for political tricks. Drawing sneaky boundaries to steal an election.
When not to use
Do not use for neutral or fair redistricting processes.
Fun facts
- Governor Elbridge Gerry's name was actually pronounced with a hard 'G' (like 'gear'), but over time the political term 'gerrymander' shifted to a soft 'J' sound!
Related words
Explore more words
disenfranchise, arbitrary, distortion, segregate, collusion, constituent
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.