careerism

noun

ca·​reer·​ism kə-ˈrir-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce careerism (audio)
: the policy or practice of advancing one's career often at the cost of one's integrity
careerist noun or adjective

Example Sentences

She was appalled by his careerism.
Recent Examples on the Web No careerism, no politics, just straight up assault on an insurmountable problem. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2012 The Fabelmans combines family therapy with Hollywood egotism, letting careerism heals all wounds. Armond White, National Review, 27 Jan. 2023 The script’s tut-tutting sketch of Gemma’s cold careerism, indifferent parenting, and hubristic engineering is suspended in a void that’s filled merely by Williams’s actorly presence and her recognizable persona. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2023 The long term fix of course is to reform the professional system and the culture of careerism so that what is rewarded is genuine productivity, rather than signalling. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 12 Dec. 2012 If his dramatic lack of careerism is singular, so too is the motivation behind his work. Asali Solomon, Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2022 Like Effective Altruism, his longtermism comes topped with a healthy dollop of careerism. Alexander Zaitchik, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2022 In our era of fervid careerism and content creation, this seems almost like a form of madness. Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2022 The upstart Carlin was sidling uncomfortably close to charging Wengrow with sycophancy or even careerism. Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 11 July 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'careerism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of careerism was in 1933

Dictionary Entries Near careerism

Cite this Entry

“Careerism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/careerism. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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