kleptocracy

noun

klep·​toc·​ra·​cy klep-ˈtä-krə-sē How to pronounce kleptocracy (audio)
plural kleptocracies
: government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed
also : a particular government of this kind
kleptocrat noun
kleptocratic adjective

Examples of kleptocracy 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.
These units boasted some of the finest experts in the world: experts on kleptocracy and how to combat it. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Feb. 2025 In some cases, those in power manage to substitute kleptocracy and state violence for administration; for instance, in Venezuela, where first Hugo Chávez and then Nicolás Maduro destroyed a prosperous and functioning state. Russell Muirhead, Foreign Affairs, 23 Jan. 2025 While Cambodia’s economy has developed quickly in recent years, with backing from China, so, too, has corruption and kleptocracy. Hannah Beech, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025 Over the past three and a half decades, Georgians have experienced civil war, kleptocracy, invasion, beleaguered institutions, and shattered dreams. Christian Caryl, Foreign Affairs, 26 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for kleptocracy 

Word History

Etymology

klepto- + -cracy

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kleptocracy was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near kleptocracy

Cite this Entry

“Kleptocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kleptocracy. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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