n.
Pronunciation: klep- ' tä-kr ə -s ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -cies
Date: 1819
: government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed also : a particular government of this kind
– klep · to · crat \ ' klep-t ə - ˌ krat \ noun
– klep · to · crat · ic \ ˌ klep-t ə - ' kra-tik \ adjective