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
The short answer is going to be somewhere in the region of £3m. The Premier League prides itself on being a meritocracy and the final sums paid out at the end of every season are shaped, in part, by the successes of each team.
—Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Republicans tend to see DEI as reverse discrimination that is unconstitutional and antithetical to meritocracy.
—David M. Drucker, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
His journey is proof of DU’s meritocracy, of turning unheralded players into cornerstone pieces.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
Yet, there is this pervasive undercurrent that the workplace is built on meritocracy, thus fair.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
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Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Republicans tend to see DEI as reverse discrimination that is unconstitutional and antithetical to meritocracy.
—David M. Drucker, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
His journey is proof of DU’s meritocracy, of turning unheralded players into cornerstone pieces.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
Yet, there is this pervasive undercurrent that the workplace is built on meritocracy, thus fair.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meritocracy
Cite this Entry
“Meritocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritocracy. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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