meritocracy

noun

mer·​i·​toc·​ra·​cy ˌmer-ə-ˈtä-krə-sē How to pronounce meritocracy (audio)
plural meritocracies
: a system, organization, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their demonstrated abilities and merit (see merit entry 1 sense 1b)
Only the elite, in that new meritocracy, would enjoy the opportunity for self-fulfillment …Robert Penn Warren
Though founded theoretically on principles of meritocracy, the public arena was parceled into spheres of personal influence …Mac Margolis
A paradox lies at the heart of this new American meritocracy. Merit has replaced the old system of inherited privilege … . But merit, it turns out, is at least partly class-based. Parents with money, education and connections cultivate in their children the habits that the meritocracy rewards.Janny Scott et al.
also : the people who are moved into such positions
a member of the meritocracy
France remains a tightly centralized nation, run by a governmental and business meritocracy carefully prepared for positions of power in elite graduate schools. Jim Hoagland
meritocratic adjective

Examples of meritocracy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Moody doesn’t appear to be in the mix for the starting five, but his role will determine just how much of a meritocracy Kerr’s open competition really is. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2024 Many policymakers in both the private and public sectors believe that diversity is the opposite of meritocracy. Doug Melville, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024 Arriving at Pierpoint from rural, working-class Wales via the prestigious Oxford University, Rob initially believed the company would be a meritocracy. Louis Staples, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2024 Trump has wagered that nonwhite voters, even those in Democratic districts, will come to see how closely their values align with those propounded by the G.O.P.: traditional family roles, religion, fiscal discipline, meritocracy. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for meritocracy 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meritocracy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

merit entry 1 + -o- + -cracy

Note: The neologism meritocracy was apparently first used in print by the British industrial sociologist Alan Fox (1920-2002) in the article "Class and Equality," Socialist Commentary, May, 1956, pp. 11-13. The word is now closely associated with the book The Rise of the Meritocracy (London: Thames & Hudson, 1958) by the sociologist and politician Michael Young (1915-2002), who is often credited with its coinage.

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meritocracy was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near meritocracy

Cite this Entry

“Meritocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritocracy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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