Meritocracy meaning

mĕrĭ-tŏkrə-sē
meritocracies
See word origin
Frequency:
A system in which advancement is based on individual ability or achievement.
noun
2
1
An intellectual elite, based on academic achievement.
noun
1
1
A system in which such an elite achieves special status, as in positions of leadership.
noun
1
1
Rule by merit, and talent. By extension, now often used to describe a type of society where wealth, income, and social status are assigned through competition.
noun
1
1
Advertisement

Origin of meritocracy

  • merit, from Latin mereō (“earn") + -cracy, from Ancient Greek κράτος (kratos, “strength, power").

    From Wiktionary

  • Coined in 1958 by Michael Young, in his book Rise of the Meritocracy.

    From Wiktionary

Meritocracy Sentence Examples

  • To the extent this world is a meritocracy, the most talented will be the movie star and the least talented will be hauling manure.

  • This makes business a meritocracy and encourages business owners to focus on quality, service, and reputation since these are so easy for customers to check.

More sentences

Related articles

Words near meritocracy in the Dictionary