technocrat

noun

tech·​no·​crat ˈtek-nə-ˌkrat 

1

: an adherent of technocracy

2

: a technical expert

especially : one exercising managerial authority

Did you know?

In 1919 W. H. Smyth coined the term technocracy to mean basically "management of society by technical experts". Technocracy grew into a movement during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when politicians and financial institutions were being blamed for the economic disaster, and fans of technocracy claimed that letting technical experts manage the country would be a great improvement. (They also suggested that dollars could be replaced by "energy certificates" representing energy units called ergs.) Today technocrat and technocratic are still popular words for experts with a highly rational and scientific approach to public policy issues. But these experts aren't always the best politicians, and when a terrific technological solution to a problem is opposed by a powerful group or industry, lawmakers find it easier to just ignore it.

Examples of technocrat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Blinken’s final tour Blinken, on the first stop of what will likely be his final trip as the top U.S. diplomat, met acting president Choi Sang-mok, a technocrat in office just over a week, as well as Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, who is not under threat of impeachment. —Alena Botros, Fortune Asia, 6 Jan. 2025

Urban planners are not be confused with technocrats. —Seydina Fall, Fortune, 2 Dec. 2024

This has been allowed to occur because a small cabal of technocrats control the price of money. —Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

Many investors and insiders insist that Trump’s more extreme threats regarding deportation, trade, China, and the Federal Reserve are actually wise strategies for gaining leverage over foreign actors, technocrats at home, or a potential Democratic majority in the House of Representatives. —Adam S. Posen, Foreign Affairs, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

techno- + -crat, after technocracy

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined at sense 1