as in prejudice
disapproving
the unfair practice by a powerful person of giving jobs and other favors to relatives
Nepotism by the owner has hurt the company because the new executives are not qualified for their jobs.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of nepotism
They were put in place to chip away at discrimination and nepotism, both concepts that are antithetical to meritocracy.
—
Nina Stachenfeld, Twin Cities, 30 Nov. 2025
But the nepotism, machine politics & corporate & lobbyist money in Sacramento is shafting working people.
—Nicole Nixon, Sacbee.com, 17 Nov. 2025
Van Halen also mentioned Jack Quaid, the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, while talking about nepotism.
—Sarah Sotoodeh, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025
Wright previously faced an ethics investigation for nepotism in hiring his own son as a deputy, which is against state law, and allegedly used his force's helicopter for flights that had no work- related purposes, according to local reporting.
—Mason Leath, ABC News, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nepotism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nepotism
Noun
-
The Supreme Court of New York subsequently ruled that the case be discontinued with prejudice, meaning that it cannot be filed again.—
-
Research has shown that having contact with those outside our own group reduces prejudice and increases trust and the willingness to forgive, which is fundamental to our growth both individually and collectively.—
Noun
-
And there is also the power of confirmation bias.—
-
Was there a regional bias at play?—
Noun
-
Since state jobs are won through cronyism and bribery, livelihoods were also at stake.—
-
But over time, they themselves have been overtaken by misconduct, cronyism, and excess, especially after the leading proxy advisory firms continually traded hands between a rotating cast of conflicted foreign buyers and private equity firms.—
Noun
-
Following the money Hinojosa and Bell have tied Abbott’s private-school voucher push to a broader argument about favoritism, arguing the program steers public dollars to mostly Christian schools while benefiting wealthy contributors.—
-
The letter details other claims of favoritism and disregard for recent board directives to curb spending, like attempting to hire for vacant positions and authorizing overtime expenditures despite the hiring and overtime freeze enacted in the board approved fiscal solvency plan.—
Cite this Entry
“Nepotism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nepotism. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
