nepotistic
Meaning
showing favouritism towards relatives, especially by giving them jobs
Structure
Usage
the company was accused of having a nepotistic culture where all the top positions were held by members of the founder's family.
his promotion was widely seen as a nepotistic decision, given his close relationship to the ceo.
reforms were implemented to eliminate nepotistic hiring practices and ensure a fair selection process.
Etymology
The word 'nepotistic' has its roots in the practices of medieval European clergy. It derives from the Latin nepōs, meaning 'nephew', but which was often used euphemistically to refer to the illegitimate sons of popes and bishops who were favoured with appointments and privileges. The suffix '-ist' was added to form 'nepotist', denoting a person who engages in such favouritism. Finally, the adjectival suffix '-ic' was appended, creating 'nepotistic' to describe the characteristic behaviour or system itself, thus completing the journey from a specific familial term to an abstract concept denoting systemic bias.
Analysis
- nepot: from latin nepōs, nepōtis meaning 'grandson, nephew'. in this word, it carries the sense of a close family member, particularly a nephew. - ist: a suffix of greek origin via latin, used to form agent nouns (one who practices). here, it functions to form the noun 'nepotist' (one who practices favouritism based on kinship). - ic: a suffix from greek -ikos via latin -icus, used to form adjectives meaning 'of, pertaining to, or characteristic of'.