Word of the Day Archive
Sunday April 8, 2001
nepotism \NEP-uh-tiz-um\ , noun:
Favoritism shown to members of one's family, as in business; bestowal of patronage in consideration of relationship, rather than of merit or of legal claim.
I got a job there as a result of my grandfather being on the board of directors -- a lesson in loyalty here, or, should I say, just plain old nepotism.
-- James Carville, Stickin': The Case for Loyalty
The staff was recruited by unabashed nepotism.
-- Noel Annan, Changing Enemies
Some custodians have worked their way around more recent nepotism rules by hiring each other's relatives.
-- Diane Ravitch and Joseph P. Viteritti, New Schools for a New Century
Nepotism derives from Latin nepot-, nepos, "grandson, nephew." It is related to nephew, which comes from the Latin via Old French neveu.
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for nepotism
