Definition of meritocracy
plural meritocracies
1
:a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement
- only the elite, in that new meritocracy, would enjoy the opportunity for self-fulfillment
- —R. P. Warren
2
:leadership selected on the basis of intellectual criteria
- many private schools have sold their birthright by choosing … "diversity" over scholarly meritocracy
- —L. G. Crovitz
