nepotism
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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Origin of nepotism
1Other words from nepotism
- ne·pot·ic [nuh-pot-ik], /nəˈpɒt ɪk/, nep·o·tis·tic, nep·o·tis·ti·cal, adjective
- nep·o·tist, noun
- an·ti·nep·o·tism, noun
Words Nearby nepotism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use nepotism in a sentence
This brought forth elements of partiality and nepotism that eroded the military effectiveness of Mamluks in the long run.
Mamluks: The Incredible Islamic Slave-Warriors of Egypt | Dattatreya Mandal | June 23, 2022 | Realm of HistoryDespite charges of nepotism, the younger Menendez has only attracted minor primary opposition, so he’ll likely be the district’s next representative.
16 Primaries To Watch In Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico And South Dakota | Geoffrey Skelley (geoffrey.skelley@abc.com) | June 7, 2022 | FiveThirtyEightnepotism and connections give certain coaches a leg up on others, while upward mobility appears inexplicably easier for those who didn’t play at a high level than for those who did.
NFL Teams Are Making Brian Flores’s Case For Him | Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com) | February 17, 2022 | FiveThirtyEightHe recently came under fire, accused of nepotism for awarding PPE contracts to a fashion company that pays his son to show its clothes on his Instagram channel.
Angela Merkel's CDU Party Is Choosing a New Leader. Whoever Wins Might Become Germany's Next Chancellor | Madeline Roache | January 14, 2021 | TimeThe big twist is that by requesting those documents, Hall did in fact uncover a nepotism problem plaguing UT admissions.
The University of Texas’s Machiavellian War on Its Regent | David Davis | October 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Corruption and nepotism are rampant in the Afghan Army and “it would collapse without U.S. financial support,” the major says.
Afghan Diplomat: The Security Agreement Will Be Signed | Jacob Siegel, Sami Yousafzai | January 31, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis is a brand new work by Lucy Hogg (yes, my wife – nepotism 'r us), from a series documenting how people use art museums.
A Haaretz editorial was more explicit, dubbing the election of Yosef and Lau “a victory for nepotism.”
This is not the first time Sirleaf has been charged with nepotism.
Liberia: More Political Woes for Nobel Peace Prize-Winner Sirleaf | Clair MacDougall | July 1, 2012 | THE DAILY BEASTBut Dredge was only thirty-four, and some people seemed to feel that there was a kind of deflected nepotism in Lanfear's choice.
Tales Of Men And Ghosts | Edith WhartonHe exposed the nepotism of bishops, the worldliness of clergymen, and the indifference of Church-people to religion in general.
Recollections of a Long Life | John StoughtonHome is the nest of nefarious nepotism, and between that and disparaging prejudice, countless youths go to the devil.
Discourses of Keidansky | Bernard G. RichardsIn the Sacred College as elsewhere nepotism and an exaggerated estimate of temporal interests were rife.
The influence of nepotism on sub-infeudation, in the case of ecclesiastical fiefs, is too important to be passed over.
British Dictionary definitions for nepotism
/ (ˈnɛpəˌtɪzəm) /
favouritism shown to relatives or close friends by those with power or influence
Origin of nepotism
1Derived forms of nepotism
- nepotic (nɪˈpɒtɪk) or nepotistic, adjective
- nepotist, noun
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
[ (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.
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