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 the administrative state is the quiet hand of cronyism working for decades in the most inefficient, sinister ways. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 13 Feb. 2025

According to Goldman Sachs, protectionism primarily leads to higher prices, cronyism, and inefficiency — not competitive manufacturing. —Solange Charas, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

This would reduce patronage and cronyism, which have plagued our city for decades. —Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2025

Wu was asked about Flaherty’s quarter-million dollar payout through a severance agreement, and purported cronyism revealed by Commission records that show the agency’s Executive Director Henry Vitale had two sister-in-laws and a nephew on the payroll last year. —Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 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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