Idiom idiom
crony capitalism
Meaning
A form of capitalism in which success in business depends on corrupt close relationships with government officials, often implying favouritism.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Crony capitalism hurts small businesses that lack political connections.”
“The public grew angry when they discovered the company won the contract through crony capitalism rather than a fair bidding process.”
“Economists argue that the nation's slow growth stems from systemic crony capitalism, where government officials grant exclusive favors to their wealthy business associates.”
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026