Definition of meritocracy
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 opporunity 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
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Origin and Etymology of meritocracy
1merit + -o- + -cracy
First Known Use: 1958
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Learn More about meritocracy
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about meritocracy
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