kleptocracy

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˌklɛpˈtɒkrəsɪ/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(klep tok′rə sē)

Inflections of 'kleptocracy' (n): npl: kleptocracies

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
klep•toc•ra•cy  (klep tok′rə sē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -cies. 
  1. a government or state in which those in power exploit national resources and steal; rule by a thief or thieves.
  • klepto- (combining form of Greek kléptēs thief) + -cracy 1815–20
klep•to•crat•ic  (klep′tə krat′ik),USA pronunciation adj. 
klep•toc•ra•cy  (klep tok′rə sē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -cies. 
  1. a government or state in which those in power exploit national resources and steal; rule by a thief or thieves.
  • klepto- (combining form of Greek kléptēs thief) + -cracy 1815–20
klep•to•crat  (klep′tə krat′),USA pronunciation n.  klep•to•crat•ic  (klep′tə krat′ik),USA pronunciation adj. 
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
kleptocracy, cleptocracy / ˌklɛpˈtɒkrəsɪ/ ( -cies)
  1. a government where officials are politically corrupt and financially self-interested
Etymology: 20th Century: from klepto( mania) + -cracy
'kleptocracy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
cleptocracy - kleptocrat

Forum discussions with the word(s) "kleptocracy" in the title:


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