# crony

/ˈkɹoʊni/ (US) · /kɹˈəʊni/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/crony
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a close friend or associate

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a close friend you have known for a long time.

For teachers: a close companion or long-standing associate. Informal in register.

- He went out for a few drinks with his old school cronies.
- After the formal ceremony, the retired professor spent the evening reminiscing with his academic cronies about their early days in the laboratory.

Teaching tip: While this can simply mean a friend, it often carries a negative suggestion of people helping each other unfairly.

### 2. unfair political associate

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

a friend of a powerful person who gets a job or special help just because they are friends.

For teachers: a political or business associate who benefits from favoritism, often at the expense of meritocracy.

- The mayor was accused of giving government jobs to his cronies.
- The investigative report highlighted how the CEO appointed several of his cronies to the board of directors to ensure his policies remained unchallenged.

Usage: Frequently appears in the phrase 'cronyism' to describe this type of corruption.

Teaching tip: This is the most common way the word is used in news and political discussions today.

## Examples

- The president was accused of hiring his cronies for government jobs.
- The CEO was criticized for promoting his long-time cronies to high-paying positions without a proper interview process.
- The investigation revealed a network of cronies who had benefited from the administration's controversial tax breaks, leading to calls for a complete overhaul of the hiring process.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.