Etymology

meritocracy

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Today it means: Rule by merit and talent. Full definition →

Ancient Greek κρᾰ́τος (krắtos) ← Proto-Indo-European *kret- ← English merit
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The story

  1. Englishmerit
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kret-
  3. Ancient Greekκρᾰ́τος (krắtos)
  4. English todaymeritocracy

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).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.