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?

"Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him" (Ecclesiasticus 9:10). Practitioners of cronyism would probably agree. The word cronyism evolved in the 19th century as a spin-off of crony, meaning "friend" or "pal." Crony originated in England in the 17th century, perhaps as a play on the Greek word chronios, meaning "long-lasting," from chronos, meaning "time." Nineteenth-century cronyism was simply friendship, or the ability to make friends. The word didn't turn bad until the next century, when Americans starting using cronyism to refer to the act of playing political favorites.

Examples of cronyism in a Sentence

The mayor has been accused of cronyism.

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Both district management and board members say this inquiry investigated allegations of cronyism that were contained in those past complaints and said they were not found substantiated. —

Kristen Taketa, The Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2024 Powers turned the case over to a special prosecutor as accusations of political cronyism swirled on social media. —

Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 17 Sep. 2024 In the United Kingdom, commentators focused on the detached bachelor existence of Prime Minister Edward Heath and then on allegations of cronyism against his successor, Harold Wilson. —

Harold James, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021 Nearby was the former headquarters of this newspaper, which spent years covering allegations of cronyism and backdoor deals against Alatorre. —

Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cronyism