mandarinate
/ˈmændərɪˌneɪt/
noun
- A group of powerful officials or bureaucrats, especially in a government or large organization, often seen as elitist or self-serving.
- The company's mandarinate made all the decisions without consulting lower-level employees.
- The university's mandarinate resisted changes to the curriculum for decades.
- Critics accused the government of being run by a mandarinate that ignored the needs of ordinary people.
- The system or class of officials in imperial China who held high-ranking civil service positions.
- The mandarinate in ancient China was based on a series of rigorous exams.
- The fall of the Qing dynasty ended the traditional mandarinate.
- Members of the mandarinate enjoyed great power and prestige in Chinese society.
Synonyms