Meanings
nounspoils system (plural spoils systems)
plural spoils systems
- governmentA practice in which a successful political party offers government jobs to its supporters.
Synonyms: patronage system
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA practice in which a successful political party offers government jobs to its supporters.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe system of employing and promoting civil servants who are friends and supporters of the group in power
Opposite
merit system
Broader
systemsystem of rules
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 分贓制 /分赃制, 分肥制
- 分贓制 /分赃制 (fēnzāngzhì)Translations
- 分肥制 (fēnféizhì)Translations
Cite this entry
APA
spoils system. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spoils%20system
MLA
“spoils system.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spoils%20system. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spoils system,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spoils%20system.
Source: spoils system on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.