Nepotist Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 5, 2024
A nepotist is someone who favors relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. e.g., The manager was a nepotist, hiring only his family members.
Table of Contents
Nepotist Definitions
An individual who shows favoritism towards relatives in business or politics.
The CEO was criticized for being a nepotist.
A person who prefers relatives for positions or advantages.
As a nepotist, she always recommended her relatives for promotions.
One who unfairly favors family or friends in business dealings.
The nepotist bypassed qualified candidates for his son.
Someone who practices nepotism by hiring family members over others.
He became known as a nepotist in his hiring practices.
A person accused of favoring their relatives in professional decisions.
Critics labeled him a nepotist for appointing his brother.
An individual who gives preferential treatment to kin.
The director was a nepotist, casting his relatives in key roles.
A person who engages in nepotism, especially in high positions.
The nepotist faced backlash for nepotistic practices.
Someone who shows bias towards family in professional environments.
The nepotist ensured his family members received the best contracts.
Someone who primarily employs or favors their own relatives.
His reputation as a nepotist hampered his professional credibility.
An individual known for giving advantages to their relatives.
The nepotist was reluctant to hire outside his family circle.
Favoritism shown or patronage granted to relatives, as in business.
One who engages in nepotism.
One who practices nepotism.
Nepotist Snonyms
Partisan
A strong supporter of a party, cause, or person; here, implying bias towards relatives in professional contexts.
His partisan approach to hiring led to numerous unqualified family members in key positions.
Favoritist
One who shows favor or preference to certain people, often relatives, in business or employment decisions.
The manager was known as a favoritist, always giving the best projects to his friends.
Biased
Unfairly prejudiced for or against someone or something; in this case, showing bias towards relatives.
His biased hiring practices undermined the company's meritocracy.
In-group
An exclusive, typically small, group of people with a shared interest or identity, including family favoritism.
The company culture was dominated by an in-group of family members.
Partial
Favoring one side in a dispute above the other; biased or prejudiced, particularly towards relatives.
His partial decision-making compromised the fairness of the recruitment process.
Crony
A close friend or companion, often used in a negative sense when referring to favoritism.
The administration was criticized for being filled with cronies and nepotists.
Insider
A person within a group or organization, especially someone regarded as having an unfair advantage; used here to denote someone who practices nepotism.
Insiders, including those practicing nepotism, had undue influence on the company's direction.
Patron
A person who gives financial or other support to a person, organization, or cause; in this context, one who favors relatives or friends for jobs.
As a patron of the arts, he also tended to hire family members over more qualified candidates.
Preferential
Manifesting or subject to preference or partiality; especially towards family members.
The director's preferential treatment of his nephew was obvious to everyone.
Clannish
Tending to associate closely with one's own group and to avoid others, often in the context of family favoritism.
The clannish behavior in the office led to a lack of diversity in ideas and perspectives.
Nepotist Idioms & Phrases
Nepotist's favor
Preferential treatment given by someone to their relatives or friends.
She was a clear beneficiary of the nepotist's favor at her workplace.
A nepotist at the helm
A person in charge who favors friends or relatives for positions or advantages.
With a nepotist at the helm, the company's hiring practices were often questioned.
Fall under a nepotist's shadow
To be negatively affected by someone's practice of nepotism.
Many talented employees felt they fell under the nepotist's shadow, overlooked for promotions.
Nepotist's network
A group or system where people are connected through nepotism rather than merit.
Breaking into the industry was hard without being part of the nepotist's network.
Play the nepotist's game
To engage in favoring friends or relatives, especially in a professional setting.
He refused to play the nepotist's game, insisting on merit-based promotions.
Nepotist's circle
A group of individuals who are favored by someone in power, typically relatives or close friends.
It was well-known that promotions were largely decided within the nepotist's circle.
Mark of the nepotist
An indication or sign that nepotism has influenced a decision or appointment.
The sudden promotion of the CEO's son bore the mark of the nepotist.
Nepotist's playground
A place or organization where favoritism towards relatives or friends is rampant.
The department turned into a nepotist's playground after the new manager took over.
Break the nepotist's chain
To stop the continuous practice of nepotism in an organization or group.
The new policy was introduced to break the nepotist's chain in hiring.
In the nepotist's pocket
Being favored or protected by someone who practices nepotism.
He was considered to be in the nepotist's pocket, which secured his rapid advancement.
Nepotist's choice
A decision made favoring a relative or friend, often ignoring merit.
The nepotist's choice for the lead role raised many eyebrows in the company.
Nepotist's grip
The strong influence or control by someone practicing nepotism.
The company struggled to grow under the nepotist's grip.
Nepotist's ladder
A path to advancement or success primarily available to friends or relatives of someone in power.
Climbing the corporate ladder seemed impossible unless one was on the nepotist's ladder.
Nepotist's rule
A situation where decisions and governance are heavily influenced by nepotism.
Under the nepotist's rule, it was hard to expect fair treatment in the organization.
Nepotist's web
A complex network of favoritism based on personal relationships rather than merit.
He found himself entangled in the nepotist's web, complicating his professional relationships.
Nepotist's blinders
The inability to see beyond one's circle of relatives or friends when making decisions.
The director's nepotist's blinders prevented him from recognizing talent in others.
Nepotist Example Sentences
Everyone knew the boss was a nepotist.
He was a well-known nepotist in the industry.
The company struggled due to the nepotist's hiring policies.
The nepotist made no effort to hide his favoritism.
The nepotist's actions led to a decrease in staff morale.
Being a nepotist, she always defended her decision to hire family.
As a nepotist, he ignored more qualified candidates.
The nepotist's favoritism affected the company's performance.
The new project was led by a known nepotist.
Employees complained about the nepotist's unfair practices.
Everyone in the department was related to the nepotist.
His nepotist tendencies were evident in team selections.
The nepotist always found a position for his relatives.
The nepotist's office was full of his family pictures.
He tried to justify his actions as a nepotist.
Common Curiosities
How many syllables are in nepotist?
There are three syllables in "nepotist."
What is a stressed syllable in nepotist?
The stressed syllable in "nepotist" is the first one: "ne-."
How do we divide nepotist into syllables?
"Nepotist" is divided into syllables as "ne-po-tist."
Why is it called nepotist?
"Nepotist" comes from "nepotism," which is derived from the Latin "nepos," meaning nephew. It historically referred to the practice of popes appointing nephews to important positions. The term has come to describe someone who favors relatives for jobs or other advantages.
How is nepotist used in a sentence?
Example: "He was accused of being a nepotist after hiring several family members."
What is the verb form of nepotist?
"Nepotist" is a noun. The related verb would be "practice nepotism."
What is the pronunciation of nepotist?
Nepotist is pronounced as /ˈnɛpətɪst/.
What is the root word of nepotist?
The root word of "nepotist" is "nepot-" from Latin "nepos," meaning nephew.
What is the singular form of nepotist?
The singular form is "nepotist."
What part of speech is nepotist?
"Nepotist" is a noun.
What is another term for nepotist?
Another term for "nepotist" is "favoritist" or "patron."
Is nepotist an adverb?
No, "nepotist" is not an adverb.
Is the word nepotist imperative?
As a noun, "nepotist" cannot be used in the imperative form.
Is the word “nepotist” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Nepotist" can be used as a direct object in a sentence.
Which vowel is used before nepotist?
The vowel used before "nepotist" depends on the context of the sentence.
Is nepotist a collective noun?
"Nepotist" is not typically used as a collective noun.
Is the nepotist term a metaphor?
"Nepotist" is usually used in a literal sense, but it can be metaphorical in broader contexts of favoritism.
Which determiner is used with nepotist?
Determiners like "the," "a," or "this" can be used with "nepotist."
Is nepotist a countable noun?
Yes, "nepotist" is a countable noun.
Is the word nepotist Gerund?
"Nepotist" is a noun and does not have a gerund form.
Which article is used with nepotist?
Articles such as "the," "a," or "an" can be used with "nepotist," depending on the context.
What is the plural form of nepotist?
The plural form is "nepotists."
What is the opposite of nepotist?
The opposite of "nepotist" could be "meritocrat" or someone practicing "meritocracy."
Is nepotist a noun or adjective?
"Nepotist" is a noun.
Is nepotist an abstract noun?
"Nepotist" is a concrete noun, referring to a specific type of person.
Is nepotist a negative or positive word?
"Nepotist" generally has a negative connotation.
Is nepotist a vowel or consonant?
The word "nepotist" starts with a consonant.
Which preposition is used with nepotist?
Common prepositions used with "nepotist" include "of" and "in."
Which conjunction is used with nepotist?
Conjunctions like "and," "but," or "or" can be used with "nepotist," depending on the sentence.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
