nepotism

noun

nep·o·tism ˈne-pə-ˌti-zəm

Synonyms of nepotism next

: favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship

accused the company of fostering nepotism in promotions

nepotistic

ˌne-pə-ˈti-stik

adjective

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Nepotism Has Papal Origins

We happen to have neither Merriams nor Websters on our staff at Merriam-Webster, and familial connections to the company’s founders do not provide an advantage to job applicants. If it were otherwise, we might be accused of nepotism—that is, favoritism based on kinship, especially in professional contexts. English speakers have kept nepotism in the family since the late 1600s, having adopted it from the French, who were inspired by Gregorio Leti's 1667 book Il nipotismo di Roma (English title: The History of the Popes' Nephews). The book explores a practice introduced by Pope Sixtus IV: during his papacy in the late 15th century he granted many special favors to members of his family, in particular to his nephews. This practice of papal favoritism was carried on by his near successors. Today, nepotism is mostly associated with business and politics. In recent informal English use, the shortened form nepo has been hitched to the denigrating term baby to refer especially to celebrities who had a parent (or two) who were also in the entertainment industry.

Examples of nepotism in a Sentence

Nepotism has hurt the company.

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.

Usually such open nepotism would be seen as slightly embarrassing, but not to this crowd. —

Khaleda Rahman, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024 The use of nepotism as a means of adding to diversity may also come off as cynical. —

Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 8 Dec. 2024 The big picture: Richmond Inspector General James Osuna opened an investigation into the city elections office and its top official, General Registrar Keith Balmer, in response to a complaint alleging misconduct and nepotism, according to the report. —

Karri Peifer, Axios, 26 Nov. 2024 Instead, private citizens from the opposition and Bangladeshi diaspora were summarily drafted into key roles, prompting accusations of nepotism, as the anti-establishment agitators became the new ruling class overnight. —

Charlie Campbell, TIME, 21 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nepotism