meritocracy ˌmɛrɪ’tɒkrəsi ■ noun (plural meritocracies) government by people selected according to merit. ▶a society governed by meritocracy. ▶a ruling or influential class of educated people. meritocrat noun meritocratic -tə’kratɪk adjective … EngMac meritocracy меритократија … Merriam-Webster Collegiate® Dictionary mer·i·toc·ra·cy Pronunciation: ˌmer-ə-‘tä-krə-sē Function: noun Inflected Form: plural -cies Etymology: 1merit + -o- + -cracy Date: 1958 1 : a system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement 2 : leadership selected on the basis of intellectual criteria –mer·it·o·crat·ic \ˌmer-ə-tə-‘kra-tik\ adjective