meritocracy
English · Thesaurus
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meritocracy
- /mɛɹɪˈtɒkɹəsi/ UK
- /mɛɹəˈtɑkɹəsi/ US
Where it comes from
From merit + -o- + -cracy, coined by British sociologist Alan Fox in 1956 in an article in Socialist Commentary from May 1956, used as a derisive term, and popularized by British sociologist Michael Young, Baron Young of Dartington in his book The Rise of the Meritocracy (1958).
noun meritocracies
-
Rule by merit and talent.
As a small nation without natural resources, Singapore relies on education and meritocracy to develop its economy.
Opposite: nepotism
- A type of society where wealth, income, and social status are assigned through competition.
Opposite: kakistocracy
Thesaurus
noun
Opposite: kakistocracy
Translations
Every language
noun rule by merit
| Español | meritocracia |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 能力主義 nōryokushugi |
| 中文 | 精英政治 jīngyīng zhèngzhì, 精英管理 jīngyīng guǎnlǐ, 任人唯賢 /任人唯贤 rènrén wéixián, 英才管理 yīngcái guǎnlǐ |
| Português | meritocracia |
| Français | méritocratie |
| Deutsch | Meritokratie, Leistungsgesellschaft |
| Italiano | meritocrazia |
| Ελληνικά | αξιοκρατία axiokratía |
| Română | meritocrație |
| Русский | меритокра́тия meritokrátija |
Talk about this word "meritocracy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/meritocracy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. meritocracy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/meritocracy "meritocracy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/meritocracy.Cite this
@misc{meritocracy_2026,
title = {meritocracy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/meritocracy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
