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
Hector Boiardi catered a welcome-home reception at the White House for 2,000 World War I soldiers. Michele Metych Britannica Editors Sep. 4, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026 The bot comes from Citibot, a company that caters its technology to government agencies. Olivia Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026 While the property is self-catered and Penrith's grocery shops are a 10-minute drive away, the estate's private chef, Elliot, became our fairy godfather for the weekend. Tamara Southward, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Aug. 2026 We got married in Mérida, Mexico, in 2022 and had the honor of having our wedding weekend catered by an incredible Oaxacan chef. ABC News, 31 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 5 Sep. 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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