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meritocratic

American  
[mer-i-tuh-krat-ik] / ˌmɛr ɪ təˈkræt ɪk /

adjective

  1. based on ability and talent rather than class, privilege, or wealth.

    The prime minister has vowed to create a truly meritocratic country, where everyone will have a fair chance in life.

Etymology

Origin of meritocratic

First recorded in 1955–60; meritocrat ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.