nepotism
patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics: She was accused of nepotism when she made her nephew an officer of the firm.
Origin of nepotism
1Other words from nepotism
- ne·pot·ic [nuh-pot-ik], /nəˈpɒt ɪk/, nep·o·tis·tic, nep·o·tis·ti·cal, adjective
- nep·o·tist, noun
- an·ti·nep·o·tism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use nepotism in a sentence
She feared I had been "a thought nepotic," and (with my permission) she would revise my marks.
That is to say, his tendencies were ingrained, perhaps hereditary, even in cases where his selection was nepotic or accidental.
The Army Mule and Other War Sketches | Henry A. CastleWe may infer that this was a position by no means distasteful to that prudent minister's provident and nepotic spirit.
Shakespeare's Lost Years in London, 1586-1592 | Arthur Acheson
British Dictionary definitions for nepotism
/ (ˈnɛpəˌtɪzəm) /
favouritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence
Origin of nepotism
1Derived forms of nepotism
- nepotic (nɪˈpɒtɪk) or nepotistic, adjective
- nepotist, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for nepotism
[ (nep-uh-tiz-uhm) ]
Favoritism granted to relatives or close friends, without regard to their merit. Nepotism usually takes the form of employing relatives or appointing them to high office.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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