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
plural -s
: one that caters: such as
a
: one whose business is to arrange for and supervise all the details as to food and service for any social affair (as at a club or private house)
b
: a worker in a hotel or restaurant who solicits, promotes, and arranges for social functions to be held there

Examples of cater in a Sentence

Verb 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.
Verb
On June 27, the caller was holding a baby shower that was catered when a suspect stole a Louis Vuitton purse, which was valued at approximately $2,500, from the caller’s bedroom. Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026 Spaces evolve to better cater for the community and become more important to everyday life. Belonging Forum, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Keep location in mind The distance a caterer has to travel to cater the wedding will affect the price. Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2026 Eastern handles are shorter and thicker, catering more to those who use a Penhold grip, where the head of the paddle is facing down and the paddle is held like a pen. Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cater

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun

probably from cater entry 2 + -er

First Known Use

Verb

1580, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cater was in 1580

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cater. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: to provide a supply of food
cater for parties
2
: to supply what is wanted or needed
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