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

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Did these doctors finally do a little reading and discover what nepotism is? —

Laura Bradley, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024 The Harvard Law School alum also revealed that these decisions regarding nepotism are made very intentionally by his girls. —

Regina Cho, VIBE.com, 31 Oct. 2024 With 200 people on staff and a long history of patronage hiring and nepotism, this office needs a qualified HR department. —

Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 27 Oct. 2024 The Castro administration has been plagued with its own corruption scandals, alleged ties to drug traffickers and accusations of nepotism. —

Nicholas Kusnetz, WIRED, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nepotism