nepotism

American  

[nep-uh-tiz-uhm] / ˈnɛp əˌtɪz əm /

noun

1. 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.

---

nepotism British  

/ nɪˈpɒtɪk, ˈnɛpəˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. favouritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence

---

nepotism Cultural  

1. 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.

---

Other Word Forms

• antinepotism noun
• nepotic adjective
• nepotist noun
• nepotistic adjective
• nepotistical adjective

Etymology

Origin of nepotism

From the Italian word nepotismo, dating back to 1655–65. See nephew, -ism

Compare meaning

How does nepotism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nepotism vs. cronyism

Example Sentences

In 2012, she was accused by unions of nepotism for influencing the hiring of up to 40 people, including numerous members of her family.

From BBC

From flagrant noncompete bids to overextended “emergency” contracts and open markets of fraud and nepotism, the disarray of New York City’s social services harms everyone and benefits few.

From The Wall Street Journal

Still, Rahman's career has been dogged by allegations of nepotism and mismanagement.

From Barron's

A 2025 state audit found additional violations of the state’s nepotism policy, along with $34,000 in credit card charges without receipts, including $11,000 spent on food without a clear business purpose.

From Los Angeles Times

Oppenheimer had a nepotism rule, however; if Lillian and Elliot wanted to hire their son, they had to pay his salary for the first year, while others determined if he was worth paying at all.

From Literature

Related Words

• bias
• discrimination
• inequity
• partisanship