“Meritocracy” addresses important questions such as to what extent the current social order and its associated inequalities are legitimate, to whom and why. This chapter unpacks the debates surrounding the notion of “meritocracy” and points out the potential to engage with this concept anthropologically. Meritocracy is a social ideal, a state policy, political rhetoric, and a popular belief. Anthropological studies on meritocracy may offer a more grounded understanding of the ways in which meritocracy resonates with some people (even when it appears to be an empty promise for others) and the forces that undermine meritocratic ideals and policies.