nepo baby

American  

[nep-oh bey-bee] / ˈnɛp oʊ ˌbeɪ bi /

noun

1. a notable or powerful person, such as a celebrity or politican, with a parent who is also notable or powerful, especially one whose industry connections are perceived as essential to their success.

   It makes sense that he's a nepo baby, because there's no way he earned that role.

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Etymology

Origin of nepo baby

First recorded in 2022; nepo(tism) ( def. ) + baby ( def. )

Example Sentences

And, through it all, she’s managed to come out on top, not just because she’s a nepo baby or because she’s rich, but because she’s happily weathered the storm.

From Salon

Yet for every nepo baby there’s a calamity baby.

From The Wall Street Journal

Fellow nepo baby Josh Brolin—whose father, James, was the hotshot young doctor on a highly rated TV series “Marcus Welby, M.D.” and later starred in “The Amityville Horror”—has said he has been in jail nine times.

From The Wall Street Journal

Adorning himself in a white boa, Platt channeled Liza Minnelli, whom he called the greatest nepo baby of all time.

From Los Angeles Times

I tried to give the same amount of practice, especially because I knew I’d have to work twice as hard as anyone else to prove I wasn’t handed everything because of the nepo baby thing.

From Los Angeles Times