nepotism
[ nep-uh-tiz-uhm ]
/ ˈnɛp əˌtɪz əm /
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noun
patronage bestowed or favoritism shown on the basis of family relationship, as in business and politics: She was accused of nepotism when she made her nephew an officer of the firm.
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OTHER WORDS FROM nepotism
ne·pot·ic [nuh-pot-ik], /nəˈpɒt ɪk/, nep·o·tis·tic, nep·o·tis·ti·cal, adjectivenep·o·tist, nounan·ti·nep·o·tism, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use nepotism in a sentence
She feared I had been "a thought nepotic," and (with my permission) she would revise my marks.
That is to say, his tendencies were ingrained, perhaps hereditary, even in cases where his selection was nepotic or accidental.
The Army Mule and Other War Sketches|Henry A. CastleWe may infer that this was a position by no means distasteful to that prudent minister's provident and nepotic spirit.
Shakespeare's Lost Years in London, 1586-1592|Arthur Acheson
British Dictionary definitions for nepotism
nepotism
/ (ˈnɛpəˌtɪzəm) /
noun
favouritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence
Derived forms of nepotism
nepotic (nɪˈpɒtɪk) or nepotistic, adjectivenepotist, nounWord Origin for nepotism
C17: from Italian nepotismo, from nepote nephew, from the former papal practice of granting special favours to nephews or other relatives
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 nepotism
nepotism
[ (nep-uh-tiz-uhm) ]
Favoritism granted to relatives or close friends, without regard to their merit. Nepotism usually takes the form of employing relatives or appointing them to high office.
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.