Definition of spoils system
: a practice of regarding public offices and their emoluments as plunder for members of the victorious party
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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.
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.
First Known Use of spoils system
1838
Learn More about spoils system
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spoils system
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