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View synonyms for crony

crony

[ kroh-nee ]

noun

, plural cro·nies.
  1. a close friend or companion; chum.

    Synonyms: buddy, pal



crony

/ ˈkrəʊnɪ /

noun

  1. a friend or companion
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crony1

1655–65; alleged to be university slang; perhaps < Greek chrónios for a long time, long-continued, derivative of chrónos time; chrono-
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crony1

C17: student slang (Cambridge), from Greek khronios of long duration, from khronos time
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Example Sentences

“Now, with the shoe on the other foot, so to speak, it is Trump and his cronies who are making plans to weaponize the Justice Department against Trump’s enemies.”

From Salon

He has thrived despite critics labeling his business empire as crony capitalism, pointing to his close ties with Modi, both as Gujarat's chief minister - where they both hail from - and as India's prime minister.

From BBC

Its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, is in prison, along with a couple of his cronies.

For the cronies, life is pretty darn good, while everyone else in society struggles to get by.

From Salon

As for my opponent, the only capitalism he believes in is crony capitalism: profits for the rich and problems for the poor.

From Salon

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More About Crony

What does crony mean?

A crony is a close friend or associate, especially one among several.

Crony can be used in a neutral way meaning much the same thing as buddy or pal, as in I still get together with my college cronies. 

But the word is most often used in a negative way to refer to a lackey or an accomplice in some kind of shady or illegal activity.

It’s especially used in a political context to refer to friends or associates of people in power who are appointed to positions or otherwise shown favor due to their relationship with that person, rather than for their qualifications, as in He ran for office to enrich himself and his cronies. When used this way, it implies a criticism of such people.

The term cronyism refers to the practice of appointing and otherwise favoring people in this way.

Example: Several of the company’s executives were known to be cronies of the CEO, making them unpopular with many employees. 

Where does crony come from?

The first records of the word crony come from around 1660. It’s origin isn’t known for sure, but it’s thought to come from university slang—its early recorded uses refer to school buddies. One possible origin could be the Greek chrónios, which means “for a long time” and is derived from the Greek chrónos, “time.” This makes sense since a crony is often a person you’ve known for a long time.

When a politician or public official appoints their longtime associates to positions, these people are often referred to as their cronies, especially in accusations of cronyism. (The practice of appointing family members to positions is called nepotism.)

Even when cronies is used outside of politics, it’s still often negative. In pop culture, the word is often used to refer to criminal associates (even if they’re not considered close associates or buddies). For example, the disposable henchmen sent on evil errands by fictional supervillains are occasionally referred to as their cronies.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to crony?

  • cronies (plural)

What are some synonyms for crony?

What are some words that share a root or word element with crony

What are some words that often get used in discussing crony?

How is crony used in real life?

The word crony is especially used in a critical way in the context of politics. There is rarely only one crony—the word is usually used in the plural.

 

 

Try using crony!

Which of the following kinds of people is the word crony most likely to refer to?

A. family member
B. enemy
C. accomplice
D. opponent

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