Main Entry: mer·i·toc·ra·cy

Pronunciation: \ˌmer-ə-ˈtä-krə-sē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural mer·i·toc·ra·cies

Etymology: ¹merit + -o- + -cracy

Date: 1958

1 : a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement
2 : leadership selected on the basis of intellectual criteria

— mer·it·o·crat·ic \ˌmer-ə-tə-ˈkra-tik\ adjective