meritocrat

noun

mer·​it·​o·​crat ˈmer-ə-tə-ˌkrat How to pronounce meritocrat (audio)
chiefly British
: a person who advances through a meritocratic system

Examples of meritocrat in a Sentence

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.
Markovits thinks that meritocracy is making everyone miserable, not least the meritocrats themselves. Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2019 Now, meritocrats transmit privilege by investing in education. Daniel Markovits, Time, 12 Sep. 2019 Lebedev, it can be assumed, is not a pure meritocrat: His friends do better in his enterprises than people who are not his friends. Ed Caesar, Esquire, 15 Sep. 2017

Word History

Etymology

merit entry 1 + -o- + -crat, after meritocracy

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meritocrat was in 1960

Dictionary Entries Near meritocrat

Cite this Entry

“Meritocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritocrat. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!