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meritocracy

meritocracy

12 7.6
A society where people get jobs because of their skills and hard work, not money
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛrɪˈtɒkrəsi/
translation icon : meritocracia
  • A true meritocracy ensures that promotions are based on skills and hard work, not personal connections.
  • the idea of meritocracy

Having said that, I think meritocracy has been a disappointment.

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Examples

  • We believe in meritocracy, that the most able should be selected for any given position.

  • The competitive college entrance examination was a good illustration of the meritocracy principle that both Taiwan and mainland China followed.

    Academic text (1996)
  • This is the plan to deliver them and to set Britain on the path to being the great meritocracy of the world.

  • Yes, there was a time when everyone believed in meritocracy as the most important thing.

  • Look, this is a meritocracy.

  • We need an example of how commerce would work in a meritocracy.

  • So having a more flexible and broader system of meritocracy is something I believe deeply in.

  • At the same time, elite institutions moved toward a meritocracy.

    Academic text (1999)
  • We like to think that success is a meritocracy; tough, but achievable, given enough hard work.

    Blog text (30)
  • The tech industry has always prided itself on being a meritocracy where bureaucracy is anathema and good always wins.

    Blog text (16)

Synonyms

merit system
vsmeritocracy
  • Formal
1 3.7

A way to hire and promote people in government or companies based on ability

is a society-wide system selecting people by ability rather than class or wealth

Antonyms

24 7.2

A small group of rich, powerful families who inherit titles and wealth

17 8.9

A small group of people who have most power in a country or organization

How Meritocratic

meritocracy
12 7.6
nepotism
20 7.2
patronage
  • Formal
13 7.4
hereditary
  • Formal
10 5.4

Surface Forms

meritocracy singular
meritocracies plural

Morphology

meritocracy = merit (transparent) = merit + ocracy

The word is a clear combination of 'merit' and '-ocracy', meaning a system ruled or organized according to merit.

Etymology

Meritocracy comes from merit ('deserve' or 'quality') and -cracy ('rule'), the same ending as in democracy. So it literally means 'rule by merit' and describes a system where people are chosen by their ability and achievements.