kleptocracy
noun
a government or state in which those in power exploit national resources and steal; rule by a thief or thieves.
kleptocracies
-
pluralof kleptocracy.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They deny siphoning off billions of dollars of state wealth while at the helm of what historians consider one of Asia's most notorious kleptocracies.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2022
And when it comes to kleptocracies, it will be very interesting to discover the reaction of visitors abroad to London's hospitality during the Olympics.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 1, 2012
“Compared to other kleptocracies, I don’t think the Mubaraks rank all that high,” says one Western envoy in Cairo, asking not to be named on a subject that remains highly sensitive.
From Newsweek ● Feb. 13, 2011
Those are the reasons why large societies cannot function with band organization and instead are complex kleptocracies.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
