kleptocracy
noun
klep·toc·ra·cy
klep-ˈtä-krə-sē 
plural kleptocracies
: government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed
also
: a particular government of this kind
Examples of kleptocracy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
John Prendergast is co-founder of The Sentry, an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disrupt predatory networks that benefit from conflict, repression, and kleptocracy.
—
Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
These units boasted some of the finest experts in the world: experts on kleptocracy and how to combat it.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Feb. 2025
In some cases, those in power manage to substitute kleptocracy and state violence for administration; for instance, in Venezuela, where first Hugo Chávez and then Nicolás Maduro destroyed a prosperous and functioning state.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
While Cambodia’s economy has developed quickly in recent years, with backing from China, so, too, has corruption and kleptocracy.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
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Nuri Kino, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
These units boasted some of the finest experts in the world: experts on kleptocracy and how to combat it.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Feb. 2025
In some cases, those in power manage to substitute kleptocracy and state violence for administration; for instance, in Venezuela, where first Hugo Chávez and then Nicolás Maduro destroyed a prosperous and functioning state.
—Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025
While Cambodia’s economy has developed quickly in recent years, with backing from China, so, too, has corruption and kleptocracy.
—Hannah Beech, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kleptocracy
Cite this Entry
“Kleptocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kleptocracy. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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