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.
His villainy changed shape throughout the evening, snarling in the company of cronies and darkly sweet in front of Tosca. Joshua Barone, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Some of the rebels were jihadists (more on that in a moment), but Assad directed his malice universally—and, if anything, more violently toward non-jihadists, whose only demand was freedom from Assad and his cronies. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024 But Brando detested Kazan’s caving to the opportunistic senator Joseph McCarthy and his cronies, whose political grandstanding hampered or crushed the careers of many writers, musicians, and performers, including Brando’s own actress sister, Jocelyn. airmail.news, 23 Nov. 2024 Tariffs are often used to reward political or business cronies, benefiting some but at the expense of the majority. Alejandro Antonio Chafuen, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near crony

Cite this Entry

“Crony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crony. Accessed 20 Jan. 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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