nepotism

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: nep=o=tism

CIDE DICTIONARY

nepotism, n. [L. nepus, nepotus, nephew: cf. F. népotisme. See Nephew.].

 Undue attachment to relations; favoritism shown to members of one's family; bestowal of patronage in consideration of relationship, rather than of merit or of legal claim.  [1913 Webster]
"From nepotism Alexander V. was safe; for he was without kindred or relatives. But there was another perhaps more fatal nepotism, which turned the tide of popularity against him -- the nepotism of his order."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

nepotism, n. favouritism shown to relatives in conferring offices or privileges.

Derivative

nepotist n. nepotistic adj.

Etymology

F n{eacute}potisme f. It. nepotismo f. nepote NEPHEW: orig. with ref. to popes with illegitimate sons called nephews

DEVIL DICTIONARY

nepotism

n. Appointing your grandmother to office for the good of the party.

THESAURUS

nepotism

bias, boodle, campaign contribution, campaign fund, discrimination, favoritism, graft, inclination, inequality, interest, involvement, leaning, one-sidedness, parti pris, partiality, partisanism, partisanship, preference, preferential treatment, public tit, public trough, slush fund, spoils of office, spoils system, undetachment, undispassionateness, unneutrality

ROGET THESAURUS

nepotism

Consanguinity

N consanguinity, relationship, kindred, blood, parentage, filiation, affiliation, lineage, agnation, connection, alliance, family connection, family tie, ties of blood, nepotism, kinsman, kinfolk, kith and kin, relation, relative, connection, sibling, sib, next of kin, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, cousin, cousin- german, first cousin, second cousin, cousin once removed, cousin twice removed, ear relation, distant relation, brother, sister, one's own flesh and blood, family, fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood, cousinhood, race, stock, generation, sept, stirps, side, strain, breed, clan, tribe, nation, related, akin, consanguineous, of the blood, family, allied, collateral, cognate, agnate, connate, kindred, affiliated, fraternal, intimately related, nearly related, closely related, remotely related, distantly related, allied, german.

Wrong

N wrong, what ought not to be, what should not be, malum in se, unreasonableness, grievance, shame, injustice, tort, unfairness, iniquity, foul play, partiality, leaning, bias, favor, favoritism, nepotism, party spirit, partisanship, bigotry, undueness, wrongdoing (vice), unlawfulness, robbing Peter to pay Paul, the wolf and the lamb, vice, a custom more honored in the breach than the obser, wrong, wrongful, bad, too bad, unjust, unfair, inequitable, unequitable, unequal, partial, one-sided, injurious, tortious, objectionable, unreasonable, unallowable, unwarrantable, unjustifiable, improper, unfit, unjustified, illegal, iniquitous, immoral, in the wrong, in the wrong box, wrongly, it will not do.

Improbity

N improbity, dishonesty, dishonor, deviation from rectitude, disgrace, fraud, lying, bad faith, Punic faith, mala fides, Punica fides, infidelity, faithlessness, Judas kiss, betrayal, breach of promise, breach of trust, breach of faith, prodition, disloyalty, treason, high treason, apostasy, nonobservance, shabbiness, villainy, villany, baseness, abjection, debasement, turpitude, moral turpitude, laxity, trimming, shuffling, perfidy, perfidiousness, treachery, double dealing, unfairness, knavery, roguery, rascality, foul play, jobbing, jobbery, graft, bribery, venality, nepotism, corruption, job, shuffle, fishy transaction, barratry, sharp practice, heads I win tails you lose, mouth honor, dishonest, dishonorable, unconscientious, unscrupulous, fraudulent, knavish, disgraceful, wicked, false-hearted, disingenuous, unfair, one-sided, double, double- hearted, double-tongued, double-faced, timeserving, crooked, tortuous, insidious, Machiavelian, dark, slippery, fishy, perfidious, treacherous, perjured, infamous, arrant, foul, base, vile, ignominious, blackguard, contemptible, unrespectable, abject, mean, shabby, little, paltry, dirty, scurvy, scabby, sneaking, groveling, scrubby, rascally, pettifogging, beneath one, low-minded, low-thoughted, base-minded, undignified, indign, unbecoming, unbeseeming, unbefitting, derogatory, degrading, infra dignitatem, beneath one's dignity, ungentlemanly, ungentlemanlike, unknightly, unchivalric, unmanly, unhandsome, recreant, inglorious, corrupt, venal, debased, mongrel, faithless, of bad faith, false, unfaithful, disloyal, untrustworthy, trustless, trothless, lost to shame, dead to honor, barratrous, dishonestly, mala fide, like a thief in the night, by crooked paths, Int, O tempora!, O mores!, corruptissima respublica plurimae leges.

Selfishness

N selfishness, self-love, self-indulgence, self-worship, self-interest, egotism, egoism, amour propre, nepotism, worldliness, world wisdom, illiberality, meanness, time-pleaser, time-server, tuft- hunter, fortune-hunter, jobber, worldling, egotist, egoist, monopolist, nepotist, dog in the manger, charity that begins at home, canis in praesepi, foes to nobleness, temporizer, trimmer, selfish, self-seeking, self-indulgent, self-interested, self- centered, wrapped up in self, wrapt up in self, centered in self, egotistic, egotistical, egoistical, illiberal, mean, ungenerous, narrow-minded, mercenary, venal, covetous, unspiritual, earthly, earthly-minded, mundane, worldly, worldly- minded, worldly-wise, timeserving, interested, alieni appetens sui profusus, ungenerously, to gain some private ends, from interested motives, apres nous le deluge.