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jobbery

jobbery

9.9
Using a public office to get personal money or benefits
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɑːbəri/
  • Archaic
translation icon : corrupción
  • To make matters more confusing, the fall of Peron in 1955 did not cleanly reverse the pattern and impose virtue and probity in place of personalism and demagoguery, jobbery and corruption.

Examples

  • The investigation uncovered widespread jobbery among government officials, leading to numerous indictments.

  • After the scandal, reforms were put in place to prevent jobbery and ensure transparency in government spending.

  • Any fusion of or confusion between the two resulted in "art-jobbery" and was intolerable.

    Academic text (2014)
  • Many critics believe that jobbery erodes public trust in elected officials and democratic institutions.

Synonyms

corruption
vsjobbery
355 4.8

Dishonest or illegal actions by people in power, like taking bribes

is specifically about exploiting a public role for private advantage rather than general wrongdoing
nepotism
vsjobbery
20 7.2

Giving jobs and other advantages to family or friends unfairly

focuses on exploiting public office for private gain rather than favoring only relatives
cronyism
vsjobbery
  • Literature
15 8.4

Giving jobs or positions to friends instead of qualified people

focuses on using public position for personal benefit rather than just favoring friends
graft
vsjobbery
14 8.2

Illegal use of power by officials, often involving bribes, to get money

focuses on exploiting public office directly for personal advantage rather than only bribery
patronage
vsjobbery
  • Formal
13 7.4

A government gives jobs or favors to supporters in return for political help

is focused on personal use of office for private advantage not rewarding supporters
venality
vsjobbery
  • Formal
3 9.9

To accept bribes and use power for personal gain

involves using a public office to gain advantage rather than general willingness
corruptness
vsjobbery
1 6.2

A habit of being dishonest and breaking rules to get money or power

describes actions using office for selfish advantage rather than the general character trait
spoils system
vsjobbery
1 8.5

Giving government jobs to supporters of the winning party

involves using office for private gain rather than an organized reward system
malversation
vsjobbery
  • Formal
9.9

Dishonest behavior by a public official, especially using public money wrongly

is about using public position for personal gain beyond only money misuse
rampant cronyism
vsjobbery
8.3

Giving jobs or benefits to friends instead of more qualified people

involves using office for private gain rather than the scale of favoritism
wasta
vsjobbery
9.9

Using personal connections to get favors or special help

involves direct use of a public office for personal gain rather than using contacts

How Corrupt

corruption
355 4.8
jobbery
  • Archaic
9.9
misconduct
  • Formal
131 4.6
honesty
365 1.0

Surface Forms

jobbery singular
jobberies plural

Morphology

jobbery = job (opaque) = job + bery

Although formed from 'job' + the noun-forming suffix '-bery', the meaning 'corrupt practice in appointments/public office' is a specialized, political sense not directly inferable from 'job' by an average learner.

Etymology

Jobbery comes from the familiar word job ('a piece of work' or 'a paid position') plus the ending -ery ('a habit or practice'). That's why jobbery means the practice of using a public office to give jobs or other benefits to friends for personal gain — in short, a form of corruption.