nepo baby

American

[nep-oh bey-bee] / ˈnɛp oʊ ˌbeɪ bi /

noun

a notable or powerful person, such as a celebrity or politican, with a parent who is also notable or powerful, especially one whose industry connections are perceived as essential to their success.

It makes sense that he's a nepo baby, because there's no way he earned that role.

Etymology

Origin of nepo baby

First recorded in 2022; nepo(tism) ( def. ) + baby ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Last August, Gen Z activists began to share terms on social media such as "nepo baby", to describe the privileged children of the Nepalese elite.

From BBC

Newson III was an appeals court judge in California, as well as a close friend and adviser to oil nepo baby Gordon Getty.

From Slate

Banoffee: Yeah, it’s nice when you find someone who’s not a nepo baby in L.A., because it’s rare.

From Los Angeles Times

Nussdorf admits with a grin that haters aren’t wrong to call his store a “nepo baby passion project.”

From The Wall Street Journal

And, through it all, she’s managed to come out on top, not just because she’s a nepo baby or because she’s rich, but because she’s happily weathered the storm.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023