kakistocracy

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• Received-Pronunciation: /kakɪsˈtɒkɹəsɪ/
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• Received-Pronunciation: /kakɪˈstɒ-/
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• General-American: /kækɪsˈtɑkɹəsi/
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• General-American: /kækɪˈstɑ-/
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• Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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From Ancient Greek κάκιστος (kákistos, “worst”), superlative of κακός (kakós, “bad”) + -κρατία (-kratía, “power, rule, government”) (corresponding to -cracy). The word was used, perhaps re-coined, by the English author Thomas Love Peacock (1785–1866) in his 1829 novella The Misfortunes of Elphin as the opposite of aristocracy (see second quotation).

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Afrikaans: kakistokrasie — government by the worst citizens
• Catalan: cacistocràcia — government by the worst citizens
• Dutch: kakistocratie — government by the worst citizens
• Finnish: kakistokratia — government by the worst citizens
• French: kakistocratie — government by the worst citizens
• German: Kakistokratie — government by the worst citizens
• Greek: κακιστοκρατία (kakistokratía) — government by the worst citizens
• Irish: suarlathas — government by the worst citizens
• Italian: cachistocrazia — government by the worst citizens
• Polish: kakistokracja — government by the worst citizens
• Portuguese: caquistocracia — government by the worst citizens
• Russian: какистокра́тия (kakistokrátija) — government by the worst citizens
• Spanish: cacocracia — government by the worst citizens
• Spanish: caquistocracia — government by the worst citizens
• Thai: ทรชนาธิปไตย (tɔɔ-rá-chá-naa-tí-bpà-dtai) — government by the worst citizens