old-boy network
an exclusive network that links members of a profession, social class, or organization or the alumni of a particular school through which the individuals assist one another in business, politics, etc.
Origin of old-boy network
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use old-boy network in a sentence
And as clear evidence of voter desire to the shake up the good old boy network in politics, women ruled the night.
British Dictionary definitions for old boy network
British informal the appointment to power of former pupils of the same small group of public schools or universities
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 old boy network
A set of relationships based on past friendship or acquaintance that sometimes replaces or undermines official organizations: “He didn't deserve that promotion; he got it because of his connections to the old boy network.”
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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