1.
nepotism; cronyism; favoritism based on personal connections
The practice of giving unfair advantages—such as jobs, contracts, or opportunities—to relatives, friends, or acquaintances rather than selecting people based on merit.
Combines 縁故 (personal connection, relation) with 主義 (-ism, principle). Always used with a critical or negative connotation. The word is common in discussions of politics, business, and institutional reform.
Common collocations
- 縁故主義を排除する: to eliminate nepotism
- 縁故主義がはびこる: nepotism runs rampant
- 縁故主義の弊害: harmful effects of nepotism
- 縁故主義的な: nepotistic
Related words
- 縁故: personal connection, relation — the base noun, neutral in meaning
- 縁故採用: hiring through personal connections — a specific practice, sometimes accepted in Japan as a recruitment channel
- コネ: connection, pull — casual loanword from English "connection," widely used in daily conversation
Cultural note
While 縁故主義 is universally negative, the concept of 縁故 itself is not always viewed negatively in Japan. 縁故採用 (connection-based hiring) has historically been an accepted recruitment practice at some companies, where an employee vouches for a candidate.