spoils system

noun

Definition of spoils system

: a practice of regarding public offices and their emoluments as plunder for members of the victorious party

Examples of spoils system in a Sentence

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That world was one of astonishing corruption: Political organizations such as Tammany Hall routinely fleeced taxpayers of millions, and the spoils system was in full swing. — John Steele Gordon, WSJ, "Growing Into the Oﬃce," 27 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spoils system.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of spoils system was in 1838

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