Meanings
- human sciencesThe phenomenon by which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, either in terms of literal wealth or in terms of fame, status, etc.
When we click on the top search results or watch the FrontPage videos on YouTube or read established blogs, we are jumping on invisible bandwagons, causing the Matthew effect to kick in.
2014, Astra Taylor, chapter 4, in The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age, Henry Holt and Company, →ISBNSynonyms: Matthew principle
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe phenomenon by which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, either in terms of literal wealth or in terms of fame, status, etc.
Origin
Coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1968, in reference to Matthew 25:29.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Matthew effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Matthew%20effect
“Matthew effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Matthew%20effect. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Matthew effect,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Matthew%20effect.
Source: Matthew effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.