old-boy network

[ ohld-boi ]
See synonyms for old-boy network on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. an exclusive network that links members of a profession, social class, or organization or the alumni of a particular school through which the individuals assist one another in business, politics, etc.

Origin of old-boy network

1
First recorded in 1955–60

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for old boy network

old boy network

noun
  1. British informal the appointment to power of former pupils of the same small group of public schools or universities

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 old boy network

old boy network

A set of relationships based on past friendship or acquaintance that sometimes replaces or undermines official organizations: “He didn't deserve that promotion; he got it because of his connections to the old boy network.”

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.