Word
cater
Meanings
to provide food and drink for an event as a service
to provide what a particular group wants or needs, especially to please them
Definition
To cater means to provide what people want or need, often as a service or to satisfy a particular group.
To cater is to supply food and drink for an event or to provide services tailored to customers’ needs. It can also mean shaping what you offer to please a specific audience, sometimes by focusing too much on their preferences. The word is often used in business, hospitality, and discussions about audiences and taste.
Examples
- The restaurant can cater for weddings, but it needs a week’s notice for large guest lists.
- She refused to cater to the committee’s every whim, even though she wanted the project approved.
- We chose a venue that would cater to their mobility needs without making anyone feel singled out.
- He built the training sessions to cater for different experience levels, so beginners and experts could both progress.
- They didn’t want to cater exclusively to trends, so they kept the design simple and durable.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse “cater for” (provide for needs) with “care for” (look after).
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.