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Nepotism is the act of granting an advantage, privilege, or position to relatives or friends in an occupation or field. These fields may include business, politics, academia, entertainment, sports, religion, and health care, similar to cronyism.[1][2] The term originated with the assignment of nephews, sons, or other relatives to important positions by Catholic popes and bishops.[3] It has often been witnessed in autocracies, whereby traditional aristocracies usually contested amongst themselves in order to obtain leverage, status, etc.
Nepotism has been criticized since ancient history by philosophers including Aristotle, Valluvar, and Confucius, condemning it as both evil and unwise.[4]