cronyism

/ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m/

//ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cronyism" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cronyism” is uncommon English (frequency #50,451 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#50,451
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to political positions.

Corpus desk

Index EN-cronyism · cronyism · English

cronyism · rank #50,451 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #50,451
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH CRP

Nearest frequency peer: CRP (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “cronyism”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “cronyism” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for cronyism
PropertyValue
Headwordcronyism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m/
Letters8
Frequency rank#50,451
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “cronyism” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).cronyismfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “CRP” (#50,452), “Cressida” (#50,449), “creatinine” (#50,447). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “cronyism” is #50,451. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cronyism is uncommon English at frequency #50,451 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for cronyism, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From crony (“close friend”) + -ism (suffix forming names of a tendency of action, behaviour, condition, opinion, or state belonging to a class or group of persons). The correct English form is cronyism, spelled C-R-O-N-Y-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to political positions.
  2. 2
    The condition of being friends; friendship; also, the ability or inclination to make friends.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how cronyism appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. [T]he present structure of the collective bargaining agreement, combined with nepotism and cronyism and other abuses in employment and referral practices, have perpetuated the effects of the past discrimination, […]
  2. [Robert L.] Hagist began what he called an "18 month reform program" that included revised warehouse procedures and measures to prevent the leakages, shortages, cronyisms, and politicking attributed to the managers and clerks of the various stores.

Etymology

From crony (“close friend”) + -ism (suffix forming names of a tendency of action, behaviour, condition, opinion, or state belonging to a class or group of persons).

This word in other languages

amiguismo(Español)copinage(Français)Freunderlwirtschaft(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cronyism"?
"cronyism" is spelled C-R-O-N-Y-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m/.
What does "cronyism" mean?
As a noun, "cronyism" means: Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics), in their appointment to political positions.
How do you pronounce "cronyism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cronyism" is /ˈkɹəʊnɪɪz(ə)m/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cronyism"?
From crony (“close friend”) + -ism (suffix forming names of a tendency of action, behaviour, condition, opinion, or state belonging to a class or group of persons). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "cronyism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Cressida#50,449deadlift#50,460desirous#50,466coachman#50,429

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list