meritocracy

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English

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Etymology

merit +‎ -o- +‎ -cracy, coined by British sociologist Alan Fox in 1956 in an article in Socialist Commentary from May 1956, used as a derisive term,[1] and popularized by British sociologist Michael Young, Baron Young of Dartington in his 1958 book The Rise of the Meritocracy.[2]

Pronunciation

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Noun

meritocracy (countable and uncountable, plural meritocracies)

  1. Rule by merit, and talent.
  2. A type of society where wealth, income, and social status are assigned through competition.

Usage notes

Though widely used as a term of praise,[3] the term was originally coined as a satire, and a critique of awarding educational achievement.[2]

Derived terms

Translations

References

  1. ^ Template:cite web
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Down with meritocracy, by Michael Young, in The Guardian, June 29, 2001.
  3. ^ Meritocracy's Lab Rat, by Timothy Noah
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