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cronyism
[ kroh-nee-iz-uhm ]
noun
- the practice of favoring one's close friends, especially in political appointments.
cronyism
/ ˈəʊɪˌɪə /
noun
- the practice of appointing friends to high-level, esp political, posts regardless of their suitability
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How does cronyism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
The signs include “identification of enemies as a unifying cause,” “controlled mass media,” “corporate power protected,” “labor power suppressed,” “disdain for intellectuals and the arts,” “obsession with crime and punishment,”and “rampant cronyism & corruption.”
Sinn Féin members of the assembly's education committee branded it a "pet project" for the DUP which "smacks of cronyism".
As it is, he says, many of the country's most enterprising business people are just leaving Ghana for better paid opportunities abroad because of the red tape and cronyism in Ghana are so prohibitive.
“We know what happened before there was a merit-based civil service. There was cronyism in American government, and we can look back through history and see that kind of graft and cronyism,” Olinsky said.
The Civil Service Commission launched the probe in August after Conservatives said appointments to the new Labour government were evidence of a "culture of cronyism".
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More About Cronyism
What doesDzԲ⾱mean?
Cronyism the practice of appointing friends or associates to positions or otherwise showing them favor due to having a relationship with them, rather than for their qualifications.
The word cronyism is used to criticize such practices, especially in politics.
The people appointed to these positions can be called cronies, as in He ran for office to enrich himself and his cronies.
In general, a crony is a close friend or associate, especially one among several. Crony can be used in a neutral way meaning much the same thing as buddy or pal, as in I still get together with my college cronies. But the word is most often used in a negative way to refer to a lackey or an accomplice in some kind of shady or illegal activity.
Example: Several high-ranking department positions were given to friends and former business associates of the governor, resulting in accusations of cronyism.
Where doescronyism come from?
The first records of the word cronyism come from the 1800s. The origin of the word crony isn’t known for sure, but it’s thought to come from university slang—its early recorded uses refer to school buddies. One possible origin could be the Greek óԾDz, which means “for a long time” and is derived from the Greek óԴDz, “time.” This makes sense since a crony is often a person you’ve known for a long time. The suffix -ism indicates a practice of something.
When a politician or public official appoints their longtime associates to positions, these people are often referred to as their cronies, especially in accusations of cronyism. Similarly, the practice of appointing family members to positions is called nepotism.Cronyism, nepotism, and other forms of favoritism are all commonly discussed in the context of criticism of governmental and political corruption.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to cronyism?
- crony (noun)
What are some words that share a root or word element with cronyism?
What are some words that often get used in discussing cronyism?
How iscronyism used in real life?
The word cronyism is used in a critical way, especially in the context of politics.
The level of cliqueness and cronyism in Scottish/ British politics is as depressing as it is destructive.
At least the weather has been nice today 😊🙃
— Mhairi Black MP🏳️🌈 (@MhairiBlack)
No unfortunately in Irish politics it's musical chairs and let the same in and out the revolving back door system. Cronyism and Nepotism
— Tony Murray (@XbossTony)
Italy’s Achilles heel: corruption and cronyism
— Spectator Culture (@CultureHouse)
Try usingcronyism!
Which of the following kinds of people are typically given positions under a system that’s considered to be cronyism?
A. political opponents
B. the most qualified candidates
C. buddies
D. strangers
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