How Do You Spell GERRYMANDER?

Pronunciation: [d͡ʒˈɛɹɪmˌandə] (IPA)

Gerrymander, a term used to describe the manipulation of voting districts for political gain, is spelled with an unusual combination of sounds that can be tricky to get right. The first syllable, "ger," is pronounced with a soft "g" sound (as in "gentle") followed by the "uh" sound, spelled with the letter "e." The second syllable, "man," is pronounced with a short "a" sound (as in "cat") and the letter "n." The final syllable, "der," is pronounced with a soft "d" sound followed by the "er" sound, spelled with the letters "e" and "r."

GERRYMANDER Meaning and Definition

1. Gerrymandering refers to the practice of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts or constituencies in order to favor a particular political party or group. It involves redrawing the boundaries of these districts in a strategic and deliberate manner, often to advantage the party in power or to disadvantage their opponents.

   Typically, gerrymandering aims to influence and ensure electoral outcomes by consolidating or diluting certain groups of voters within specific districts. This can be done by creating irregularly shaped districts that include or exclude specific demographic, geographic, or socioeconomic characteristics to achieve the desired political outcome.

   The term "gerrymander" originated in the early 19th century and is derived from the combination of "Gerry," the surname of Elbridge Gerry, a Massachusetts governor who was accused of this practice in 1812, and "salamander," due to the district he created resembling the shape of a mythical reptile. The word has since come to represent the broader concept of manipulating electoral boundaries for political gain.

   Gerrymandering has been a contentious issue in democratic systems, as it can lead to skewed electoral representation and undermine the principle of fair and equal representation for all citizens. Critics argue that it can stifle competition, entrench the power of incumbent politicians, and erode public trust in the political process. Efforts to combat gerrymandering include the use of objective criteria, independent redistricting commissions, and legal challenges.

Top Common Misspellings for GERRYMANDER *

• gerrmander 100%

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for GERRYMANDER

• ferrymander
• verrymander
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• herrymander
• yerrymander
• terrymander
• gwrrymander
• gsrrymander
• gdrrymander
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• g4rrymander
• g3rrymander
• geerymander
• gedrymander
• gefrymander
• gerrymender
• Gerrimanderd
• Gerrander
• Garrimander
• Gerimander

Etymology of GERRYMANDER

The word "gerrymander" originated from a combination of the name "Gerry" and the word "salamander". It was coined in 1812 in the United States during the tenure of Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts. The term was created to describe the redrawing of electoral districts in peculiar shapes to benefit the political party in power.

When Governor Gerry approved a redistricting plan that favored his Democratic-Republican Party, one of the redrawn districts resembled a salamander. A political cartoonist named Elkanah Tisdale published a cartoon in the Boston Gazette newspaper representing the contorted district, referring to it as the "Gerry-mander".

Over time, the term evolved into "gerrymander", losing the second part of Gerry's name. Today, it has become a commonly used term to describe the manipulation of district boundaries to gain political advantage.

Similar spelling words for GERRYMANDER

• Germaine,
• germaneness,
• germanite,
• German mark,
• German Bee,
• German Iris,
• German Nazi,
• geranium,
• germanium,
• germanism,
• germanic,
• germinal,
• germinate,
• germander.

Plural form of GERRYMANDER is GERRYMANDERS

Conjugate verb Gerrymander

CONDITIONAL PERFECT

I would have gerrymandered

you would have gerrymandered

he/she/it would have gerrymandered

we would have gerrymandered

they would have gerrymandered

I would have gerrymander

you would have gerrymander

he/she/it would have gerrymander

we would have gerrymander

they would have gerrymander

CONDITIONAL PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

I would have been gerrymandering

you would have been gerrymandering

he/she/it would have been gerrymandering

we would have been gerrymandering

they would have been gerrymandering

CONDITIONAL PRESENT

I would gerrymander

you would gerrymander

he/she/it would gerrymander

we would gerrymander

they would gerrymander

CONDITIONAL PRESENT PROGRESSIVE

I would be gerrymandering

you would be gerrymandering

he/she/it would be gerrymandering

we would be gerrymandering

they would be gerrymandering

FUTURE

I will gerrymander

you will gerrymander

he/she/it will gerrymander

we will gerrymander

they will gerrymander

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

I will be gerrymandering

you will be gerrymandering

he/she/it will be gerrymandering

we will be gerrymandering

they will be gerrymandering

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have gerrymandered

you will have gerrymandered

he/she/it will have gerrymandered

we will have gerrymandered

they will have gerrymandered

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I will have been gerrymandering

you will have been gerrymandering

he/she/it will have been gerrymandering

we will have been gerrymandering

they will have been gerrymandering

IMPERATIVE

you gerrymander

we let´s gerrymander

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

to gerrymander

PAST CONTINUOUS

I was gerrymandering

you were gerrymandering

he/she/it was gerrymandering

we were gerrymandering

they were gerrymandering

PAST PARTICIPLE

gerrymandered

PAST PERFECT

I had gerrymandered

you had gerrymandered

he/she/it had gerrymandered

we had gerrymandered

they had gerrymandered

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I had been gerrymandering

you had been gerrymandering

he/she/it had been gerrymandering

we had been gerrymandering

they had been gerrymandering

PRESENT

I gerrymander

you gerrymander

he/she/it gerrymanders

we gerrymander

they gerrymander

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

I am gerrymandering

you are gerrymandering

he/she/it is gerrymandering

we are gerrymandering

they are gerrymandering

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

gerrymandering

PRESENT PERFECT

I have gerrymandered

you have gerrymandered

he/she/it has gerrymandered

we have gerrymandered

they have gerrymandered

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I have been gerrymandering

you have been gerrymandering

he/she/it has been gerrymandering

we have been gerrymandering

they have been gerrymandering

PRESENT SUBJUNCTIVE

he/she/it gerrymander

SIMPLE PAST

I gerrymandered

you gerrymandered

he/she/it gerrymandered

we gerrymandered

they gerrymandered