This week’s theme
Words from politics

This week’s words
malfeasance
nepotism
emolument
collusion
impeach

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(NEP-uh-tiz-uhm)

MEANING:

noun: Favoritism shown to relatives and friends, especially in business or political appointments.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Italian nepotismo, from Latin nepos (grandson, nephew). Ultimately from the Indo-European root nepot- (grandson, nephew) that is also the source of the words nephew and niece. Earliest documented use: 1669.

NOTES:

The word originated from the practice of popes in the Roman Catholic Church to confer important positions to their sons. Since a pope had taken the vow of chastity, his son was euphemistically called a nephew.

USAGE:

“[Ivanka is] a walking advertisement for the dangers of nepotism, an exemplar of class privilege, and a perfect representative for Republican know-nothingism.”
Jennifer Rubin; Ivanka Trump Is a Walking Advertisement for the Dangers of Nepotism; The Independent (London, UK); Dec 22, 2017.

See more usage examples of nepotism in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: