arrogance of power

noun

1. presumption on the part of a nation that its power gives it the right to intervene in the affairs of less powerful nations.

Word History and Origins

Origin of arrogance of power¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

In a toxic mix with the arrogance of power.

From Salon

What the great critic of Vietnam War escalation during the 1960s, Sen. William Fulbright, called “the arrogance of power.”

From Salon

“It’s the arrogance of power so the disappearance of this kind of person is commonplace and happens all the time.”

From Washington Times

“There is the arrogance of power,” he once said, “and what we got from punk was the power of arrogance.”

From New York Times

Twelve years later, by 2003, America's rage and arrogance of power blinded the second President Bush to the realities that had constrained his father.

From BBC