crony

noun

cro·​ny ˈkrō-nē How to pronounce crony (audio)
plural cronies
: a close friend usually of long standing : pal
played golf with his cronies
often, specifically : a person who unfairly receives special treatment see also cronyism, crony capitalism

Examples of crony in a Sentence

The mayor rewarded his cronies with high-paying jobs after he was elected. the criminal's cronies were also closely questioned about the illegal gambling operation
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While Democrats cling to norms and rules, bureaucratic processes and Old World etiquette, the Republican Party, now almost entirely populated by Trump cronies and loyalists, promotes a vision of government unbeholden to legality or due process. Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025 Our Military has targeted this ISIS Attack Planner for years, but Biden and his cronies wouldn't act quickly enough to get the job done. Tara Copp, arkansasonline.com, 2 Feb. 2025 Zoom in: Madigan and co-defendant Mike McClain are also accused of running a secret system that placed political cronies at private companies like AT&T and ComEd in exchange for favorable legislation. Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 29 Jan. 2025 The cronies are already loading up the HVAC at the U.N. Building with the canisters, on the verge of taking out the General Assembly and, in the process, poisoning thousands of people across mid-Manhattan. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 27 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crony

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Greek chronios long-lasting, from chronos time

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crony was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crony. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

crony

noun
cro·​ny ˈkrō-nē How to pronounce crony (audio)
plural cronies
: a close companion : pal
politicians who get jobs for their cronies

More from Merriam-Webster on crony

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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