quango

noun

quan·​go ˈkwaŋ-ˌgō How to pronounce quango (audio)
plural quangos
British
: a partly autonomous regulatory agency
especially : one in Britain organized outside the civil service but financed and appointed by the government

Examples of quango in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That’s where the private business part of the quango model kicks in. Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 10 Jan. 2023 The Arts Council, a quango that distributes money from the government and the National Lottery, has opened its purse. The Economist, 22 June 2020

Word History

Etymology

quasi-nongovernmental organization

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of quango was in 1973

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Cite this Entry

“Quango.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quango. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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