cronyism

noun

cro·​ny·​ism ˈkrō-nē-ˌi-zəm 

: partiality to cronies especially as evidenced in the appointment of political hangers-on to office without regard to their qualifications

Did you know?

The word cronyism evolved in the 19th century as a spin-off of crony, meaning “friend” or “pal.” In its younger days, cronyism simply meant “friendship,” or “the ability to make friends.” The word didn’t turn bad until the next century, when Americans starting using it to refer to the act of playing political favorites. If cronyism is new to your vocabulary, perhaps you’re more familiar with the related term nepotism, meaning “favoritism based on kinship, especially in professional and political contexts.”

Examples of cronyism in a Sentence

The mayor has been accused of cronyism.

Recent Examples on the Web

But over time, they themselves have been overtaken by misconduct, cronyism, and excess, especially after the leading proxy advisory firms continually traded hands between a rotating cast of conflicted foreign buyers and private equity firms. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 Nov. 2025

This move is uncomfortably reminiscent of China’s state capitalism, not to mention the attendant risks of cronyism. —Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025

The local politicians like Mayor Wu who are staying mum are just compounding cronyism and degrading the livability of the neighborhood. —Lou Murray, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025

Some might say there was a lot of cronyism involved, and there definitely was, but the DJs at WHRB put a lot of work into promoting us on the show Record Hospital. —Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cronyism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

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