: a person preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field
broadly : nerd
a policy wonk
a computer wonk
wonkery noun
wonkish
ˈwäŋ-kish How to pronounce wonk (audio)
ˈwȯŋ-
adjective
wonkishness noun

Examples of wonk in a Sentence

the policy wonks in the government the candidate has an army of policy wonks ready to write for him a position paper on virtually any issue
Recent Examples on the Web Sadly, crime policy is not driven by policy wonks who carefully analyze the data and try to strike the right balance between public safety and individual rights. Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Feb. 2024 Sullivan is more of an inside player, the relentless wonk at Biden’s side. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2023 For the wonks: The Biden administration didn’t trot out many surprises within the proposal. Bob Herman Reprints, STAT, 5 Feb. 2024 Read David’s full story—including much more technical detail, for the wonks among you!—here. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2023 Whereas Haley’s crowds include a fair share of policy wonks—political tourists from neighboring states, neutral envoys from the New Hampshire A.A.R.P.—Trump’s audience comes for him and for one another. Eren Orbey, The New Yorker, 23 Jan. 2024 Medicare Advantage is arguably the most controversial health care program right now — a sentiment that was bolstered Friday by striking new data about overpayments and an uncommon political jab during a routine meeting of policy wonks. Bob Herman, STAT, 12 Jan. 2024 Exotic data, conversely, embraces flexibility and creative interpretation, often seen as unorthodox by traditional data wonks. Sarah Davanzo, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2023 These hypothetical spaces are mostly the dry realm of wonks debating theories of sovereignty. Joseph Bernstein, New York Times, 12 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wonk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wonk was in 1954

Dictionary Entries Near wonk

Cite this Entry

“Wonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonk. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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