Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cronyism

/ˈkɹoʊniˌɪzəm/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.54 in modern English

Syllables: cro-ny-i-sm
IPA: /ˈkɹoʊniˌɪzəm/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to political positions.

Countable; Derogatory; Uncountable

noun

The condition of being friends; friendship; also, the ability or inclination to make friends.

Countable; Obsolete; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"[T]he present structure of the collective bargaining agreement, combined with nepotism and cronyism and other abuses in employment and referral practices, have perpetuated the effects of the past discrimination, […]"
"[Robert L.] Hagist began what he called an "18 month reform program" that included revised warehouse procedures and measures to prevent the leakages, shortages, cronyisms, and politicking attributed to the managers and clerks of the various stores."
"If we are going to reauthorize the National Endowment, we need to see to it that the Endowment, in its procedures, are open, one. […] That there is a cessation of a long-term practice of cronyisms on the panels so that artists across the Nation have equal access to this."
"[C]ommunism is predicated upon a central structure of economic command that is singularly entrusted with allocating resources and making economic decisions. Because of this centralized command structure, communist societies fall prey to the forces of cronyism and influence-peddling as commune members without economic power curry favor with commune leaders that control access to resources."
"Patronage, nepotism, cronyism, abuse of power, and criminal activity flourish, sometimes for decades, in numerous town halls, police stations, and special-purpose government agencies in the suburbs."
"Critics accuse her [von der Leyen] of serious missteps over the pandemic, the Gaza war, alleged cronyism, – and of having a high-handed manner."

Etymology

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).

Word Breakdown

Root: *(s)ker-
Suffix: crony

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈkɹoʊniˌɪzəm/
British English: /ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m/

Usage

Inflected Forms

cronyisms (plural) croneyism (alternative)

Phrases

crony capitalism old boy network

Frequently Paired Words

crony crony capitalism cronydom cronyish cronyist cronyistic cronynomics bargain

Synonyms

cronydom wasta

Questions

How do you pronounce cronyism?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈkɹoʊniˌɪzəm/.
What does cronyism mean?: Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to political positions.
Where does cronyism come from?: 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).

How to pronounce cronyism

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cronyism”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈkɹoʊniˌɪzəm/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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