as in prejudice
disapproving
the unfair practice by a powerful person of giving jobs and other favors to relatives
Nepotism by the owner has hurt the company because the new executives are not qualified for their jobs.
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Recent Examples of nepotism
Two years into Bronny James’ NBA career, in the postseason spotlight, cries of nepotism will have to wait for the bench minutes the Lakers actually need from the 21-year-old guard.
—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Employee referral programs consistently produce higher-quality hires, not because of nepotism, but because people rarely recommend someone who will embarrass them.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Critics have long described the system as a form of institutionalized nepotism, where loyalty to the ruling family often outweighed formal qualifications.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
State officials began investigating the village in 2024 after receiving a whistleblower complaint alleging nepotism and conflicts of interest.
—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nepotism
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
Employee referral programs consistently produce higher-quality hires, not because of nepotism, but because people rarely recommend someone who will embarrass them.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
21 Apr. 2026
Critics have long described the system as a form of institutionalized nepotism, where loyalty to the ruling family often outweighed formal qualifications.
—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
State officials began investigating the village in 2024 after receiving a whistleblower complaint alleging nepotism and conflicts of interest.
—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nepotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nepotism
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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This is the wrong time for a baseball stadium — or anything that looks frivolous or smacks of cronyism.
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While no rules were broken, the revelations conflicted with Starmer’s portrayal of himself as an antidote to the cronyism displayed by successive Conservative leaders.
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
“Nepotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nepotism. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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