nepotism
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
nepotism
- /ˈnɛp.ə.tɪ.zəm/ UK
- /ˈniː.pə.tɪ.zəm/ UK, rare
- /ˈnɛp.ə.tɪ.zəm/ Canada, US
- /ˈnep.ə.tɪ.zəm/ Australia
- /ˈnep.ə.tə.zəm/ New Zealand
Where it comes from
Borrowed from French népotisme, from Italian nepotismo, from Latin nepōs (“nephew”), a reference to the practice of popes appointing relatives (most often nephews) as cardinals (cardinal-nephew) during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
noun nepotisms
-
The favoring of relatives (most strictly) or also personal friends (more broadly) because of their relationship rather than because of their abilities.
Nepotism can get you very far in the world if you've got the right connections.
Opposite: meritocracy
Translations
Every language
noun favoring of relatives or personal friends
| Español | nepotismo, sobrinazgo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 족벌주의 jokbeoljuui |
| 日本語 | 縁者贔屓 enjabiiki |
| 中文 | 偏袒 piāntǎn, 裙帶關係 /裙带关系 qúndài guānxì, 任人唯親 /任人唯亲 rènrénwéiqīn |
| हिन्दी | भाई-भतीजावाद bhāī-bhatījāvād |
| Kiswahili | upendeleo wa ndugu |
| Português | nepotismo |
| Français | népotisme, copinage |
| Deutsch | Nepotismus, Vetternwirtschaft |
| Italiano | nepotismo |
| Ελληνικά | οικογενειοκρατία oikogeneiokratía |
| Română | nepotism |
| Русский | непоти́зм nepotízm, кумовство́ kumovstvó |
| עברית | נֶפּוֹטִיזְם nepotizm |
Talk about this word "nepotism." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/nepotism. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. nepotism. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/nepotism "nepotism." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/nepotism.Cite this
@misc{nepotism_2026,
title = {nepotism},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/nepotism},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}