English Explanatory Dictionary

meritocracy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Rule by merit and talent.
  2. A type of society where wealth, income, and social status are assigned through competition.

Pronunciation

/mɛɹɪˈtɒkɹəsi/ /mɛɹəˈtɑkɹəsi/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-AnotherFriendlyHuman-meritocracy.wav

Word forms

meritocracy meritocracies

Etymology

From merit + -o- + -cracy, coined by British sociologist Alan Fox in 1956 in an article in Socialist Commentary from May 1956, used as a derisive term, and popularized by British sociologist Michael Young, Baron Young of Dartington in his 1958 book The Rise of the Meritocracy.

Derived words

antimeritocracy meritocrat meritocratic mirrortocracy
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