meritocracy
noun
mer·i·toc·ra·cy
ˌmer-ə-ˈtä-krə-sē 
plural meritocracies
: a system, organization, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their demonstrated abilities and merit (see merit entry 1 sense 1b)
Only the elite, in that new meritocracy, would enjoy the opportunity for self-fulfillment …—
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn WarrenThough founded theoretically on principles of meritocracy, the public arena was parceled into spheres of personal influence …—Mac Margolis
Mac MargolisA paradox lies at the heart of this new American meritocracy. Merit has replaced the old system of inherited privilege … . But merit, it turns out, is at least partly class-based. Parents with money, education and connections cultivate in their children the habits that the meritocracy rewards.—Janny Scott et al.
Janny Scott et al.
also
: the people who are moved into such positions
a member of the meritocracy
France remains a tightly centralized nation, run by a governmental and business meritocracy carefully prepared for positions of power in elite graduate schools. —Jim Hoagland
Jim Hoagland Examples of meritocracy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sport at the highest level outright refuses to prioritize diversity over meritocracy.
—Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2024
There are too many variables for the hundred-metre race to be considered a strict meritocracy.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024
After law school, Dans chose a different meritocracy, joining a wave of young attorneys in the New York corporate legal world in the late ’90s.
—Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 Aug. 2024
Acknowledging your position of privilege—rather than viewing it as inherent, manifest, or a result of meritocracy—might trigger insecurity, anger, and rebellion (maybe even insurrection).
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for meritocracy 
Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 8 Aug. 2024
There are too many variables for the hundred-metre race to be considered a strict meritocracy.
—Hanif Abdurraqib, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2024
After law school, Dans chose a different meritocracy, joining a wave of young attorneys in the New York corporate legal world in the late ’90s.
—Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 1 Aug. 2024
Acknowledging your position of privilege—rather than viewing it as inherent, manifest, or a result of meritocracy—might trigger insecurity, anger, and rebellion (maybe even insurrection).
—Ebony Flake, Essence, 30 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for meritocracy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meritocracy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near meritocracy
Cite this Entry
“Meritocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritocracy. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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