idiocracy
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
idiot + -cracy. The word was coined by the writers of a 2006 movie about the topic, which is known for presaging, through caricature, the future state of the world.
Pronunciation[edit]
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˌɪdiˈɒkɹəsi/
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌɪdiˈɑkɹəsi/
- Homophones: ideocracy, idiocrasy
- Rhymes: -ɒkɹəsi
Noun[edit]
idiocracy (countable and uncountable, plural idiocracies)
- (humorous, politics) A government run by idiots.
- 2010 February 6, Jacob Weisberg, “Down With the People”, in Slate:
- In trying to explain why our political paralysis seems to have gotten so much worse over the past year, analysts have rounded up a plausible collection of reasons including: President Obama's tactical missteps, the obstinacy of congressional Republicans, rising partisanship in Washington, the blustering idiocracy of the cable-news stations, and the Senate filibuster, which has devolved into a super-majority threshold for any important legislation.
- (slang, derogatory) A society where idiocy is the norm, often denoting the current state of the world.
Usage notes[edit]
Do not confuse idiocracy ("rule by idiots") with its (historically older) homophones, idiocrasy ("idiosyncrasy") and ideocracy ("rule by ideologues").
Antonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
government by idiots
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Categories:
- English terms suffixed with -cracy
- English 5-syllable words
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- Rhymes:English/ɒkɹəsi
- Rhymes:English/ɒkɹəsi/5 syllables
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- English humorous terms
- en:Politics
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