(from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.)
Government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens.
ETYMOLOGY: Greek kakistos, worst, superlative of kakos, bad; see caco- + -cracy.
What a great word. And how depressing to be surrounded by examples of it.
Thank you, hen’s teeth. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to substitue a k for that last c?
Thus KaKistoKracy, or KKK – klunky and ugly without that one elegant letter. Wish I could write a dictionary.
I learned a new word.
Someone posted this entry at DK this morning, currently on top of reco list:
Welcome to the Kakistocracy: Any way you spell it, we’re living in it