Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Favoritism shown to nephews and other relatives; patronage bestowed in consideration of family relationship and not of merit. The word was invented to characterize a propensity of the popes and other high ecclesiastics in the Roman Catholic Church to aggrandize their family by exorbitant grants or favors to nephews or relatives.
Wiktionary
- n. The favoring of relatives or personal friends because of their relationship rather than because of their abilities.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Undue attachment to relations; favoritism shown to members of one's family; bestowal of patronage in consideration of relationship, rather than of merit or of legal claim.
WordNet 3.0
- n. favoritism shown to relatives or close friends by those in power (as by giving them jobs)
Etymologies
- From Italian nepotismo, from Latin nepōs ("nephew"), a reference to the practice of popes appointing relatives (most often nephews) as cardinals during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. (Wiktionary)
- French népotisme, from Italian nepotismo, from nepote, nephew, from Latin nepōs, nepōt-; see nepōt- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“The word nepotism is from the Latin word 'nepos', meaning "nephew" or "grandchild". shows up again. while: Biotrophic parasitism is an extremely common mode of life that has arisen independently many times in the course of evolution.”
“The term nepotism, although first showing up in the English language around 1669, took its meaning from the term cardinal-nephews which was the Popes practice of creating Cardinals from their family, usually nephews, as they were not supposed to have children of their own.”
“Sullivan produced a long list of people who had gotten jobs in Washington through such connections, and concluded, "All this nepotism is a worrisome sign that America's political class is becoming increasingly insular.”
“The modern definition of "nepotism" is simply favoritism based on kinship, but most people today use the term very narrowly, to mean hiring not just a relative but one who is grossly incompetent.”
“The term "nepotism" comes from the Italian nepote -- 'nephew.”
“But in fact, the word "nepotism" comes from the Italian of the 16th or 15th century, "nepotismo (ph)," or "nipotismo (ph).”
“Reality Check: Ethnic nepotism is literally another word for racism.”
“He hoped to marry the girl his mother had chosen for him and to procure a stable job in a society where shameless nepotism is the norm.”
“Accusations of pay to play politics and nepotism from the machine are laughable.”
“But in my experience, nepotism is much less of an issue in public sector compares to private sector. joe from Lowell says:”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘nepotism’.
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GRE Barrons Wordlist
A complete Barron's Wordlist for GRE preparation. Your online flashcard replacement.
abase, abash, abate, abbreviate, abdicate, aberrant, aberration, abet, abeyance, abhor, abject, abjure and 4087 more...
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allover
reintegrate, spight, surveillant, harmonize, Colophon, workplace, bigoted, unsighted, bridgework, salutation, voltmeter, octane and 159 more...
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SPOR - Olympic glossary
weightlift, orbitale, figure skate, speed skate, synchronizer, equestrian sport, bobsleigh, starting block, diesis, ligne, piste, water ski and 521 more...
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-ism's -logies
acosmism, absurdism, absolutism, ableism, aestheticism, alarmism, allotheism, anachronism, animalculism, analogism, animatism, animism and 464 more...
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N
letters starting with n
nadir, naive, narcissist, nascent, natation, natty, nauseate, nautical, nebulous, necromancy, nefarious, negate and 24 more...
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Daily Words
The words I come across on Daily basis that I feel Important to know
daily words, lackluster, mala fide, nepotism, avarice, polemics, fervor, ergo, precarious, reprieve, undefiled
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Official Misconduct
Words describing types of misconduct by those in public office.
malversation, embezzlement, peculation, racketeering, jobbery, misappropriation, defalcation, venality, favouritism, favoritism, nepotism, gerrymandering and 44 more...
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ocracy
politically motivated
demagogue, autocracy, oligarchy, reformist, cadre, colonialism, neo imperalism, nationalist, neoliberal, communism, socialism, egalitarianism and 5 more...
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apjoseph's words
insurmountable, ubiquitous, unequivocal, incumbent, asinine, amenable, sycophants, precarious, malevolent, gregarious, raison detra, nefarious and 200 more...
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MiaLuthien's list ♥
gambit, prehensile, coquetry, impunity, genuflect, ensconce, clavicle, delude, beget, castigate, life caching, convoluted and 478 more...
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Good Words
fenestering, cetic, immanent, quickening, archetypal, shibboleth, soma, wetware, heritable, Apotheosis, halcyon, cellar door and 482 more...
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Words I Know
List of most of the words I've learned
garner, abase, abate, abdicate, abduct, aberration, abet, abhor, abide, abject, abjure, abnegation and 1046 more...
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my GRE words
pedant, wizened, histrionic, logorrhea, frenetic, approbation, quibble, knell, acclivity, droog, prevarication, aplomb and 182 more...
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cuzican's Words
lexicon, tirade, innocuous, apathy, narcissist, subtle, agnostic, plethora, malleable, catalyst, pithy, irate and 116 more...
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Vocab ##5
appint, monarch, counterpart, muse, bestow, unwitting, aghast, admonish, wage, decree, cavalry, phalanx and 126 more...
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List Erine
cool mint antiseptic
shalom, cattywampus, bourgeoisie, aerophile, traverse, grotto, epicurean, ex cathedra, nautilus, epitaph, lathe, continuum and 753 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for nepotism.
djsalinger My mum told me what this word meant in the car today.
We were playing a number plate game where you have to make a true statement out of the three grouped letters. It was a good drive. May 25, 2009
qroqqa Ultimately from Latin nepotem "grandson, descendant" (nom. nepos), later also "nephew, niece", giving Italian nipote "nephew, niece". In Italian the practice was originally styled nipotismo as well as the current nepotismo. Sep 16, 2008
bilby nipote, rather. Sep 16, 2008
koldewyse From the Italian for "nephew," nepoti. Sep 16, 2008
inkhorn Actually I was referring to the Stroger clan, but now that Daley's running for mayor again, I guess we all have to go through the motions, right? Dec 14, 2006
seanahan All Hail Lord Daley. Dec 13, 2006
inkhorn The primary means of political promotion in Chicago. Dec 13, 2006