What does crony mean?
A crony is a close friend or associate of many years' standing, typically one who spends considerable time in someone's company. The word has two shades of use. In its older, neutral sense, a crony is simply a trusted companion — someone you might describe as 'an old crony from university days'. More commonly today, especially in political and journalistic contexts, the term carries a strongly disapproving tone: it suggests a person whose closeness to someone powerful earns them jobs, contracts, or other favors they have not merited on their own merits. Phrases such as 'crony capitalism' and 'crony appointments' rely on this critical sense. The word derives from the Greek 'khronios', meaning long-lasting or of long standing, so at its heart a crony is defined by the endurance of a friendship over time. Because of its frequent association with favoritism and insider dealing, writers should weigh tone carefully when using it; applied to a genuine lifelong friend it reads warmly, but attached to a public figure's circle it reads as an accusation. Its plural form is 'cronies'.
nounA crony is a close friend or companion of long standing, especially one who is frequently in the company of someone in a position of power or influence. The word often carries a negative connotation when such associates are seen as receiving unfair favoritism.
- A close friend or long-standing companion.
- A friend of a powerful person, especially one perceived as benefiting from favoritism or nepotistic treatment.
"The governor filled several key posts with old college cronies."
"He spent the afternoon reminiscing with a few of his old army cronies."
"Critics accused the administration of handing contracts to political cronies."
The plural 'cronies' is standard and more frequent than the singular, since the word typically refers to members of a group around a person.
"She met up with her old cronies for dinner every month."
'Crony' comes from the Greek word for time itself — a crony is literally someone who has stuck with you through time, which makes the phrase 'old crony' almost etymologically redundant.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crony
The word 'crony' entered English in the seventeenth century, derived via student slang — notably associated with Cambridge University — from the Greek 'khronios', meaning 'long-lasting', formed on 'khronos', the Greek word for time. It originally referred to a friend of long standing, preserving that temporal sense. The same Greek root gives us words such as 'chronology', 'chronic', and 'synchronize', making 'crony' a distant cousin of these time-related terms.
Related word forms
How crony is actually used
In its neutral sense, 'crony' simply denotes a longtime companion and can be affectionate ('an old crony from school'). In political and business contexts, however, it usually implies corruption or undeserved privilege, as in 'crony capitalism' or 'crony appointments'. The plural 'cronies' is more common than the singular in everyday use.
Easily confused with crony
Though both derive from the Greek root for time, 'chronic' describes something persisting a long time (as an illness), while 'crony' is a noun meaning a close companion.