mediocracy
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What does mediocracy mean?
Where does mediocracy come from?
The first recorded use of mediocracy comes from an 1845 Whig Party resolution referring to the administration of President James K. Polk as a âreign of shuffling incompetency and mousing mediocracyâ (the Whigs would have won Twitter, apparently). Mediocracy is a blend of mediocre and the Greek root -cracy, meaning ârule,â âgovernment,â or âgoverning bodyâ (as in democracy and aristocracy). Mediocre comes from the Latin mediocris, meaning âin a middle stateâ (literally âat middle heightâ).
Just as an aristocracy is a government run by aristocrats, a mediocracy is a government of leaders considered mediocreâunexceptional or inferior. The defining feature of a mediocracy is that those in power lack the quality or skill that is normally expected of leaders. The term is most often used in political commentary to refer to governments considered incompetent or ineffective. It can also be applied to organizations outside of government, such as businesses, as in After the original leadership team was fired, standards were lowered across the board and this place turned into a mediocracy.Â
Mediocracy isnât only the negative label for unfavorable governments. It is similar to terms like kakistocracy (rule by the worst) and kleptocracy (rule by thieves).
Mediocracy is rarely used. For that reason, it may be mistaken for the word mediocrity, which means âthe quality or state of being mediocre.â
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What are some other forms related to mediocracy?
- mediocracies (plural)
What are some words that share a root or word element with mediocracy?Â
What are some words that often get used in discussing mediocracy?
What are some words mediocracy may be commonly confused with?
How is mediocracy used in real life?
Mediocracy is most commonly used in a political context to criticize a leader or an administration as being unqualified, incompetent, ineffective, or just plain bad.
In the end, any functioning democracy is destined to become a mediocracy.
— James Madison (@Hitchens4) November 7, 2012
The ugly truth. It is so frustrating and hurts this great country. We end up with mediocre white men as President instead of brilliant women running this country. White men are not vetted even close to how women and men of color are vetted which ends up giving us mediocracy.
— yogurtandbluebas (@Momma_DE_) February 9, 2020
South Africa has now officially become a mediocracy. A form of government in which mediocrity rules.
— Gus Silber (@gussilber) December 9, 2015
Try using mediocracy!
Is mediocracy used correctly in the following sentence?Â
If you want to achieve greatness, you canât settle for mediocracy.
How to use mediocracy in a sentence
The class that lies on the grass is more sociable; they are free from (p. 203) a thousand tyrannies that oppress the mediocracy.
Impressions of a War Correspondent|George LynchHow could such facts be understood unless we had previously taken that rapid glance at the Mediocracy.
Sons of the Soil|Honore de BalzacHe was cousin of the miller and cousin of the Sarcuses, and belonged therefore to the neighborhood and to its mediocracy.
Sons of the Soil|Honore de Balzac