technocrat
noun
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In 1919 W. H. Smyth coined the term technocracy to mean basically "management of society by technical experts". Technocracy grew into a movement during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when politicians and financial institutions were being blamed for the economic disaster, and fans of technocracy claimed that letting technical experts manage the country would be a great improvement. (They also suggested that dollars could be replaced by "energy certificates" representing energy units called ergs.) Today technocrat and technocratic are still popular words for experts with a highly rational and scientific approach to public policy issues. But these experts aren't always the best politicians, and when a terrific technological solution to a problem is opposed by a powerful group or industry, lawmakers find it easier to just ignore it.
Examples of technocrat in a Sentence
Zainab Usman, Foreign Affairs, 5 May 2025
Speculation had grown that Han, 75, would decide to contest the election after opinion polls showed an increase in support for the experienced technocrat, who was thrust into the top post in December after Yoon’s removal from office.
—Reuters, NBC news, 1 May 2025
He’s been able to sell himself as a no-nonsense technocrat who knows how to steer a crisis.
—Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2025
Canada’s ruling Liberal party picked Mark Carney — a former central bank governor known as a competent technocrat — as its new leader.
—Josh Fellman, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for technocrat
Cite this Entry
“Technocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technocrat. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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