Pecunism: Discrimination on the basis of money

Pecunism

Pecunism (pronounced pe-KYOON-ism) is discrimination against the impecunious -- those with little or no money. It can be defined as

discrimination on the basis of money (wealth or income)
discrimination on the basis of socioeconomic status (SES)
socioeconomic discrimination

It's from the Latin word for money: pecunia

Richard Parncutt
2025 April

People can be discriminated against on the basis of

sex (sexism),
so-called race (racism),
age (agism),
physical ability or disability (ableism), and/or
money or socioeconomic status (pecunism).

Pecunism is a serious problem. Having a word for it is a step toward a solution. Here are some examples:

The law is supposed to treat everyone equally. But people with more money have access to better lawyers. Legal discrimination against people who cannot afford lawyers is an example of pecunism.

Unemployment offices don't treat the unemployed very kindly. They are sometimes expected to accept jobs they don't want or lose their benefit. If they accept a job that doesn't pay very well they might still lose their benefit. Their privacy is often invaded. People who are lucky enough to have more money don't have to put up with that.

Income tax is usually progressive: the more you earn, the more tax you pay in proportion to your income. That applies to people with full-time jobs, but what about part-time or casual work? Those on unemployment benefit lose the benefit when they earn relatively small amounts of money. When they work a bit harder, they don't get more money. Everyone else does! That's pecunism, and it motivates people to stay on benefits instead of working part-time. The problem can be solved by combining unconditional basic income with constant incentive (BICI).

In the US, racism and pecunism are closely linked. African Americans generally have less money than the majority. They simultaneously suffer from two kinds of discrimination.

An extreme case of pecunism is the death penalty, which today is almost exclusively applied to people with little money (more). People on death row in any country are typically poor.

There are also everyday and seemingly innocent cases of pecunism. You are unlikely to be invited to a posh ball if you aren't rich or beautiful.

Clearly, pecunism is a big deal. It should be taken more seriously. It helps to have a word for it! Just as sexism is discrimination on the basis of sex, and racism is discrimination on the basis of "race", pecunism is discrimination on the basis of money.

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