technocrat
noun
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In 1919 W. H. Smyth coined the term technocracy to mean basically "management of society by technical experts". Technocracy grew into a movement during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when politicians and financial institutions were being blamed for the economic disaster, and fans of technocracy claimed that letting technical experts manage the country would be a great improvement. (They also suggested that dollars could be replaced by "energy certificates" representing energy units called ergs.) Today technocrat and technocratic are still popular words for experts with a highly rational and scientific approach to public policy issues. But these experts aren't always the best politicians, and when a terrific technological solution to a problem is opposed by a powerful group or industry, lawmakers find it easier to just ignore it.
Examples of technocrat in a Sentence
Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 May 2025
In a decision only made public on the eve of the talks, Putin named a group of mid-level technocrats to lead the Russian delegation.
—Joanna Kakissis, NPR, 15 May 2025
The deal would include an end to the war, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners and hostages in Gaza and the handing over of power in Gaza to an independent body of technocrats, the AP reported.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 12 May 2025
Voters are more dubious of technocrats, policy wonks, and academics committed to foreign aid.
—Zainab Usman, Foreign Affairs, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for technocrat
Cite this Entry
“Technocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/technocrat. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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