meritocracy
noun
mer·i·toc·ra·cy
ˌmer-ə-ˈtä-krə-sē 
plural meritocracies
: a system, organization, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their demonstrated abilities and merit (see merit entry 1 sense 1b)
Only the elite, in that new meritocracy, would enjoy the opportunity for self-fulfillment …—
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn WarrenThough founded theoretically on principles of meritocracy, the public arena was parceled into spheres of personal influence …—Mac Margolis
Mac MargolisA paradox lies at the heart of this new American meritocracy. Merit has replaced the old system of inherited privilege … . But merit, it turns out, is at least partly class-based. Parents with money, education and connections cultivate in their children the habits that the meritocracy rewards.—Janny Scott et al.
Janny Scott et al.
also
: the people who are moved into such positions
a member of the meritocracy
France remains a tightly centralized nation, run by a governmental and business meritocracy carefully prepared for positions of power in elite graduate schools. —Jim Hoagland
Jim Hoagland Examples of meritocracy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Yet, there is this pervasive undercurrent that the workplace is built on meritocracy, thus fair.
—Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Unburdened by the lineup and rotation politics involving Malone and Booth, Adelman has demonstrated meritocracy with minutes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025
Numerical evaluations are often used to validate the existence of a pure meritocracy, in which people are judged by the quality of their work rather than their identities.
—Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 4 Apr. 2025
Hegseth has trumpeted his early tenure as turning the page on woke, as a sign of a more lethal military that is laser-focused on America’s enemies — a true military meritocracy.
—David French, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
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Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
Unburdened by the lineup and rotation politics involving Malone and Booth, Adelman has demonstrated meritocracy with minutes.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2025
Numerical evaluations are often used to validate the existence of a pure meritocracy, in which people are judged by the quality of their work rather than their identities.
—Laura Clawson, JSTOR Daily, 4 Apr. 2025
Hegseth has trumpeted his early tenure as turning the page on woke, as a sign of a more lethal military that is laser-focused on America’s enemies — a true military meritocracy.
—David French, Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meritocracy
Cite this Entry
“Meritocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meritocracy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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