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Showing results for quango. Search instead for quangos.
Synonyms

quango

American  
[kwang-goh] / ˈkwæŋ goʊ /
Also QUANGO

noun

quangos plural
  1. (especially in the United Kingdom) a semipublic advisory and administrative body supported by the government and having most of its members appointed by the government.


quango British  
/ ˈkwæŋɡəʊ /

noun

  1. a semipublic government-financed administrative body whose members are appointed by the government

"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

Etymology

Origin of quango

First recorded in 1975–80; qu(asi)-a(utonomous) n(on-)g(overnmental) o(rganization) or qu(asi)-a(utonomous) n(ational) g(overnmental) o(rganization)

Vocabulary lists containing quango

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sir Keir Starmer axed the biggest quango, NHS England, last month and Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden is currently reviewing hundreds of quangos in a bid to reduce bureaucratic waste and inefficiency.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2025

Mr Cridland's quango Transport for the North is due to publish its first report soon.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2016

In 1981, a quango, the London Docklands Development Corporation, was set up to shape its future.

From The Guardian • Jun. 18, 2015

The deal between government and the Canal and River Trust is “astonishingly far sighted,” says Simon Thurley, the head of English Heritage, a quango that is undergoing its own separation from Whitehall.

From Economist • Dec. 17, 2014

However, early plans to involve the Shareholder Executive investment quango in a rescue of UK Coal were ultimately ditched.

From The Guardian • Jul. 9, 2013

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