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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

Matthew effect en · PROPN

Etymology

Coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1968, in reference to Matthew 25:29.

Meanings

  1. The phenomenon by which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, either in terms of literal wealth or in terms of fame, status, etc.
    • When we click on the top search results or watch the FrontPage videos on YouTube or read established blogs, we are jumping on invisible bandwagons, causing the Matthew effect to kick in. 2014, Astra Taylor, chapter 4, in The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age, Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
the Matthew effect canonical lexicographic

Relateds

preferential attachment · those that have, get · Matilda effect

Synonyms

Matthew principle