meritocracy

noun

the belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth or birth

a form of social system in which power goes to those with superior intellects

Roots

mereomerito- · Latin · deserve, earn kratos-cracy · Greek · rule

Synonyms & related words for meritocracy

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Words related to meritocracy

Explore words related to meritocracy — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include meritocratic, meritocrat, egalitarianism, equalitarianism, elitism, egalitarian, inegalitarian, equalitarian. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does meritocracy come from?

The word meritocracy breaks down into 2 roots of Latin and Greek origin: merito-, from Latin mereo (“deserve, earn”); and -cracy, from Greek kratos (“rule”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.