Etymology

cronyism

cro·ny·i·sm
C3R1O1N1Y4I1S1M3

Today it means: Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to political positions. Full definition →

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The story

From crony (“close friend”) + -ism (suffix forming names of a tendency of action, behaviour, condition, opinion, or state belonging to a class or group of persons).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.