Dictionary

inheritocracy en · NOUN

Etymology

From inherit + -o- + -cracy.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) An economic situation in which individuals' prosperity is mainly dependent on inherited wealth rather than income from work or other sources.
   • David Brooks ("The Structure of Gratitude," column, July 28) dubiously characterizes American society as a "capitalist meritocracy." I suggest that we are more aptly described as a "capitalist inheritocracy." 2015 August 3, Daniel Rigney, “The Politics of Gratitude”, in The New York Times (letter to the editor), page A.18:
   • The sad fact is, inheritocracy is the only feasible route to owning a property. “In London and the south-east, it feels like almost every first-time buyer client has had some kind of help from their parents or grandparents,” says Andrew Montlake, chief executive of Coreco, the mortgage broker. 2024 November 1, Claer Barrett, “Meet ‘Generation Windfall’: coming to an estate agent near you”, in FT.com, archived from the original on 01 Nov 2024:
   • The rise of the inheritocracy reflects three factors: increasing wealth, changing demography and slower economic growth. 2025 March 1, “The bequest boom”, in The Economist, page 63:
   • Several million people became shareholders for the first time, by subscribing to privatisation issues. Another million or two became homeowners, having bought their council houses at bargain prices. new inheritocracy 1999 January 5, Martin Van Der Weyer, “The merits of the new inheritocracy”, in Daily Mail, page 11:
   • In the 2020s, rather than a meritocracy – where hard work pays off – we have evolved into an inheritocracy, based on family wealth. 2024 November 17, Eliza Filby, “Bank of Mum and Dad: why we all now live in an ‘inheritocracy’”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

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Relateds

inheritocrat