idiocracy

English

Etymology

From idiot +‎ -cracy. The word was coined by the writers of a 2006 movie about the topic, which some have interpreted as presaging, through caricature, the state of the world.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɪdiˈɒkɹəsi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɪdiˈɑkɹəsi/
• Homophones: ideocracy, idiocrasy
• Rhymes: -ɒkɹəsi

• Audio (US):

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Noun

idiocracy (countable and uncountable, plural idiocracies)

1. (humorous, politics) A government run by idiots.
   • 2010 February 6, Jacob Weisberg, “Down With the People”, in Slate:

     In trying to explain why our political paralysis seems to have gotten so much worse over the past year, analysts have rounded up a plausible collection of reasons including: President Obama's tactical missteps, the obstinacy of congressional Republicans, rising partisanship in Washington, the blustering idiocracy of the cable-news stations, and the Senate filibuster, which has devolved into a super-majority threshold for any important legislation.

2. (slang, derogatory) A society where idiocy is the norm, often denoting the current state of the world.

Usage notes

Do not confuse idiocracy ("rule by idiots") with its (historically older) homophones, idiocrasy ("idiosyncrasy") and ideocracy ("rule by ideologues").

Antonyms

• geniocracy

Derived terms

• idiocratic

Translations

government by idiots

• French: idiocratie (fr) f
• Portuguese: idiocracia f
• Russian: идиократия (idiokratija)