Meritocracy (merit, from Latin mereō "earn" and -cracy, from Ancient Greek κράτος kratos "strength, power") is a political philosophy which holds that power should be vested in individuals almost exclusively according to merit. Advancement in such a system is based on intellectual talent measured through examination and/or demonstrated achievement in the field where it is implemented.
== Definitions ==
=== Early definitions ===
The "most common definition of meritocracy conceptualizes merit in terms of tested competency and ability, and most likely, as measured by IQ or standardized ach...