Cronyism is the unfair practice by a powerful person (such as a politician) of giving jobs and other favors to friends without regard for their qualifications.

// City residents are pushing back against cronyism and corruption in their local government.

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“Expertise, not cronyism, is needed to determine which strategies are most likely to lead to meaningful gains.” — Time, 23 Aug. 2023

The word cronyism evolved in the 19th century as a spin-off of crony, meaning “friend” or “pal.” In its younger days, cronyism simply meant “friendship,” or “the ability to make friends.” The word didn’t turn bad until the next century, when Americans starting using it to refer to the act of playing political favorites. If cronyism is new to your vocabulary, perhaps you’re more familiar with the related term nepotism, meaning “favoritism based on kinship, especially in professional and political contexts.”