as in prejudice
disapproving
the unfair practice by a powerful person (such as a politician) of giving jobs and other favors to friends
The mayor has been accused of cronyism.
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Recent Examples of cronyism
Huntington Beach has scrapped a brand management and marketing contract plan that had been clouded by community concerns over transparency and cronyism.
—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
23 May 2026
He‘d look to make changes to the top command to reduce cronyism and restore trust.
—
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
In 2002 the Editorial Board of this newspaper began publishing allegations detailing kickbacks by the DA’s staff, cronyism, and political prosecutions.
—
John O’Hara,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
These swift moves from Magyar reflect his promise to sweep away the corruption, cronyism and Kremlin allyship that European officials and watchdogs say plagued Orbán's Hungary.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
23 May 2026
He‘d look to make changes to the top command to reduce cronyism and restore trust.
—
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
In 2002 the Editorial Board of this newspaper began publishing allegations detailing kickbacks by the DA’s staff, cronyism, and political prosecutions.
—
John O’Hara,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
These swift moves from Magyar reflect his promise to sweep away the corruption, cronyism and Kremlin allyship that European officials and watchdogs say plagued Orbán's Hungary.
—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
19 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cronyism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cronyism
Noun
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For much of the past several decades, overt expressions of racial prejudice became increasingly socially unacceptable in mainstream public life.
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Ableism is the everyday prejudice — sometimes subtle, sometimes overt — that treats people with disabilities as inconvenient, less competent, or less deserving of respect and opportunity.
Noun
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An agent that knows us this well can draw on behavioral science—the same biases and triggers that have always influenced human decisions—to observe, understand, and either serve or manipulate us.
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At the same time, relying on intuition alone can introduce bias and blind spots.
Noun
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Where does one look for models if élites and powerful decision-makers seem to have ascended through nepotism or greed rather than through merit?
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James hears the nepotism claims.
Noun
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Goldstein remained with the band through the late-’90s/early 2000s recording of the album Chinese Democracy, often weathering accusations of favoritism toward one band member or another.
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Bacon responded by gathering supporters and issuing a public declaration accusing Berkeley’s administration of corruption, favoritism, and failure to defend the colony.
Cite this Entry
“Cronyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cronyism. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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