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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nepotism
The protests were initially sparked by widespread power outages and water shortages throughout the Indian Ocean island, but eventually grew into wider discontent with the country’s leadership, service failures, alleged corruption, and political nepotism.
—
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
The nail industry—and the hair industry—operate on exploitative labor conditions buffeted by state connections and nepotism.
—Arabelle Sicardi, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
Can’t anybody here play this game, the game in question being nepotism?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Lest you be concerned, there's no unmerited nepotism here.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nepotism
Rebecca Schneid, Time, 14 Oct. 2025
The nail industry—and the hair industry—operate on exploitative labor conditions buffeted by state connections and nepotism.
—Arabelle Sicardi, Allure, 9 Oct. 2025
Can’t anybody here play this game, the game in question being nepotism?
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Lest you be concerned, there's no unmerited nepotism here.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nepotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nepotism
Noun
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Oklahoma Indian Territory who defied poverty and prejudice to become one of America’s first Black female millionaires — at just 11 years old.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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And, as Politico observed, his critics are poised to define him not by policy but by identity—testing whether the city that elected its first Muslim mayor will judge him by his performance or by prejudice.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And there is also the power of confirmation bias.—
Lauren Wilson,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
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Was there a regional bias at play?—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Since state jobs are won through cronyism and bribery, livelihoods were also at stake.—
Nabil Salih,
Time,
4 Dec. 2025
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But over time, they themselves have been overtaken by misconduct, cronyism, and excess, especially after the leading proxy advisory firms continually traded hands between a rotating cast of conflicted foreign buyers and private equity firms.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
16 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Though some members of Congress have expressed concerns about Isaacman's relationship with SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, citing the potential for bias or favoritism, Isaacman's nomination has been favorably received by much of the space community.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
17 Dec. 2025
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Her husband eventually confronted his parents about the favoritism.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nepotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nepotism. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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