cater

verb

ca·​ter ˈkā-tər How to pronounce cater (audio)
catered; catering; caters
Synonyms of cater

intransitive verb

1
: to provide a supply of food
cater for a large party
2
: to supply what is required or desired
catering to middle-class tastes

transitive verb

: to provide food and service for
catered the banquet
caterer
ˈkā-tər-ər How to pronounce cater (audio)
noun

Synonyms of cater

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Examples of cater in a Sentence

The restaurant caters for parties. A local restaurant catered the banquet. The awards ceremony will be a catered event.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After the war, Lisbon and Washington signed a formal agreement for the Air Force's use of the base, which has a long runway to cater for heavy military aircraft. — ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026 One came from Merlin Verrier, who caters touring artists at venues such as Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre under the name Hot Like Sauce. — Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2026 While the majority of guests were adults, children are well catered for at the hotel's restaurants, and the central location of the property makes getting home early easy. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Poland also has over 86,000 places of refuge offering a lower level of protection such as basements, underground garages or subway stations, and catering for around 23 million people. — Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cater

Word History

Etymology

obsolete cater buyer of provisions, from Middle English catour, short for acatour, from Anglo-French, from acater to buy — more at cate

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cater was in 1580

Phrases Containing cater

Rhymes for cater

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Browse Nearby Words

catenative
cater
cateran
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cater. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

cater

verb
ca·​ter ˈkāt-ər How to pronounce cater (audio)
1
: to provide a supply of food
cater for parties
2
: to supply what is wanted or needed
caterer
-ər-ər How to pronounce cater (audio)
noun
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