meritocracy
an elite group of people whose progress is based on ability and talent rather than on class, privilege, or wealth.
a system in which such persons are rewarded and advanced: The dean believes the educational system should be a meritocracy.
leadership by able and talented persons.
Origin of meritocracy
1Other words from meritocracy
- mer·i·to·crat·ic [mer-i-tuh-krat-ik], /ˌmɛr ɪ təˈkræt ɪk/, adjective
Words Nearby meritocracy
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use meritocracy in a sentence
Harsh geopolitical and material inequalities don’t disappear when it’s time to sprint 100 meters, shoot clay targets or parry a fencing sword — no matter what the quintessentially American belief in sports as a meritocracy may suggest.
India’s Olympic Struggles Aren’t New, But It’s Making A Comeback In One Important Sport | Santul Nerkar (santul.nerkar@abc.com) | August 6, 2021 | FiveThirtyEightAfter all, McCain—the daughter of the late Senator John McCain—was not exactly a shining example of the meritocracy herself.
TV Is Having a Talking-Head Crisis, From Sharon Osbourne to Dr. Oz to Meghan McCain | Judy Berman | April 8, 2021 | TimeIn this episode of Glad You Asked, we explore how meritocracy perpetuates inequality and racism, helping meritocrats believe that they’ve won due to their hard work and effort while leaving already marginalized groups behind.
Most Silicon Valley leaders still see their industry as a true meritocracy, where employees are generously compensated, can easily switch jobs and don’t need a union to advocate for them.
Six things to know about the latest efforts to bring unions to Big Tech | Gerrit De Vynck, Nitasha Tiku, Jay Greene | January 26, 2021 | Washington PostThey only lived up to their much-celebrated ideals of meritocracy under pressure, or threat.
Before sports get credit for doing the right thing, remember how long it took to get there | Kevin Blackistone | December 18, 2020 | Washington Post
Not quite saying what academic aptitude is, he is sure Harvard should emphasize it to create a “true meritocracy.”
We want to believe in the meritocracy, and, more importantly, that we are the sole proprietors of our achievements.
Both generations of meritocracy are tied to good things: hard work, high standards, social mobility.
We Need More Class Traitors: Solving America’s Meritocracy Problem | Jedediah Purdy | April 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOur meritocracy is doing more harm than good, and its members—and everyone else—need to start questioning it.
We Need More Class Traitors: Solving America’s Meritocracy Problem | Jedediah Purdy | April 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOur meritocracy has become the ideology of a self-concerned, infinitely ambitious, and basically fearful economy.
We Need More Class Traitors: Solving America’s Meritocracy Problem | Jedediah Purdy | April 20, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWith meritocracy in the ascendance, aristocracy was in descent.
After the Rain | Sam Vakninmeritocracy is a "fair play" by rules of equal chance to derive benefits.
After the Rain | Sam VakninWhich leads us to the death of meritocracy and why this region's future is behind it.
After the Rain | Sam VakninAll modern states and societies must choose whether to be governed by merit (meritocracy) or by the privileged few (oligarchy).
After the Rain | Sam VakninWhat sets meritocracy apart is not the number of members of its ruling (or leading) class, usually no larger than an oligarchy.
After the Rain | Sam Vaknin
British Dictionary definitions for meritocracy
/ (ˌmɛrɪˈtɒkrəsɪ) /
rule by persons chosen not because of birth or wealth, but for their superior talents or intellect
the persons constituting such a group
a social system formed on such a basis
Derived forms of meritocracy
- meritocrat, noun
- meritocratic (ˌmɛrɪtəˈkrætɪk), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for meritocracy
[ (mer-i-tok-ruh-see) ]
A government or society in which citizens who display superior achievement are rewarded with positions of leadership. In a meritocracy, all citizens have the opportunity to be recognized and advanced in proportion to their abilities and accomplishments. The ideal of meritocracy has become controversial because of its association with the use of tests of intellectual ability, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, to regulate admissions to elite colleges and universities. Many contend that an individual's performance on these tests reflects his or her social class and family environment more than ability.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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