technocrat
noun
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In 1919 W. H. Smyth coined the term technocracy to mean basically "management of society by technical experts". Technocracy grew into a movement during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when politicians and financial institutions were being blamed for the economic disaster, and fans of technocracy claimed that letting technical experts manage the country would be a great improvement. (They also suggested that dollars could be replaced by "energy certificates" representing energy units called ergs.) Today technocrat and technocratic are still popular words for experts with a highly rational and scientific approach to public policy issues. But these experts aren't always the best politicians, and when a terrific technological solution to a problem is opposed by a powerful group or industry, lawmakers find it easier to just ignore it.
Examples of technocrat in a Sentence
David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Various strands of the opposition—ethnic minorities, leftists, and educated technocrats—appeared determined to block him, even at the price of leaving the regime in place.
—Azadeh Moaveni, New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2026
Instead, our species’ overreliance on the programs had generated an upper ruling class of technocrats that soon presided over all aspects of society.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Mar. 2026
Zoltan Tarr, the second-highest leader in Tisza, told Politico in a piece published Monday that his party hopes to draft business leaders, outside experts, and other technocrats without political experience for their hypothetical government.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for technocrat
Cite this Entry
“Technocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technocrat. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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