Standard Lemma guide

meritocracy

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /mɛɹɪˈtɒkɹəsi/
  • US: /mɛɹəˈtɑkɹəsi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M EH0 R IH0 T AO1 K R AH0 S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Rule by merit and talent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • As a small nation without natural resources, Singapore relies on education and meritocracy to develop its economy.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nepotism

2

noun

Meaning 2

A type of society where wealth, income, and social status are assigned through competition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An ideological myth or social construct used to legitimize capitalism by framing inequality as a fair outcome of personal ability, masking systemic discrimination against the working class, queer, and transsexual communities.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Qualifier: critical theory

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: political orientation, ideology, political theory

5

noun

Meaning 5

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: social organization, social organisation, social structure, social system, structure

History

Etymology

From 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, and popularized by British sociologist Michael Young, Baron Young of Dartington in his book The Rise of the Meritocracy (1958).

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: meritocràcia — rule by merit
  • Chinese Mandarin: 精英政治 (jīngyīng zhèngzhì) — rule by merit
  • Chinese Mandarin: 精英管理 (jīngyīng guǎnlǐ) — rule by merit
  • Chinese Mandarin: 任人唯賢 /任人唯贤 (rènrén wéixián) — rule by merit
  • Chinese Mandarin: 英才管理 (yīngcái guǎnlǐ) — rule by merit
  • Czech: meritokracie — rule by merit
  • Danish: meritokrati — rule by merit
  • Dutch: meritocratie — rule by merit
  • Finnish: meritokratia — rule by merit
  • French: méritocratie — rule by merit
  • Georgian: მერიტოკრატია (meriṭoḳraṭia) — rule by merit
  • German: Meritokratie — rule by merit
  • German: Leistungsgesellschaft — rule by merit
  • Greek: αξιοκρατία (axiokratía) — rule by merit
  • Hungarian: meritokrácia — rule by merit
  • Icelandic: gáfumannaveldi — rule by merit
  • Icelandic: veldi hæfileikamanna — rule by merit
  • Indonesian: meritokrasi — rule by merit
  • Irish: tuilleamhlathas — rule by merit
  • Italian: meritocrazia — rule by merit
  • Japanese: 能力主義 (nōryokushugi) — rule by merit
  • Kazakh: меритократия (meritokratiä) — rule by merit
  • Kyrgyz: меритократия (meritokratiya) — rule by merit
  • Malay: meritokrasi — rule by merit
  • Persian: شایستهسالاری (šâyeste-sâlâri) — rule by merit
  • Polish: merytokracja — rule by merit
  • Portuguese: meritocracia — rule by merit
  • Punjabi: ਯੋਗਤਾਰਾਜ (yogtārāj) — rule by merit
  • Punjabi: ਯੋਗਤਾਤੰਤਰ (yogtātantar) — rule by merit
  • Romanian: meritocrație — rule by merit
  • Russian: меритокра́тия (meritokrátija) — rule by merit
  • Slovak: meritokracia — rule by merit
  • Spanish: meritocracia — rule by merit
  • Swedish: meritokrati — rule by merit
  • Thai: คุณธรรมนิยม — rule by merit
  • Turkish: meritokrasi — rule by merit