arrogate

American  

[ar-uh-geyt] / ˈær əˌgeɪt /

verb (used with object)

• arrogates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• arrogated,
  past participle,  past
• arrogating
  present participle

1. to claim unwarrantably or presumptuously; assume or appropriate to oneself without right.

   to arrogate the right to make decisions.

2. to attribute or assign to another; ascribe.

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arrogate British  

/ əˈrɒɡətɪv, ˈærəˌɡeɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to claim or appropriate for oneself presumptuously or without justification

2. (tr) to attribute or assign to another without justification

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• arrogation
  noun
• arrogator
  noun
• arrogative
  adjective
• unarrogated
  adjective
• unarrogating
  adjective
• arrogatingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• arrogating
  present
• arrogated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• arrogate
  simple
• arrogates
  simple
• have arrogated
  perfect
• has arrogated
  perfect
• am arrogating
  progressive
• are arrogating
  progressive
• is arrogating
  progressive
• have been arrogating
  perfect progressive
• has been arrogating
  perfect progressive

Past

• arrogated
  simple
• had arrogated
  perfect
• was arrogating
  progressive
• were arrogating
  progressive
• had been arrogating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will arrogate
  simple
• will have arrogated
  perfect
• will be arrogating
  progressive
• will have been arrogating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of arrogate

1530–40; < Latin arrogātus appropriated, assumed, questioned (past participle of arrogāre ), equivalent to arrog- ( ar- ar- + rog ( āre ) to ask, propose) + -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

To arrogate is to take over. When the teacher steps out of the classroom and some bossy student marches up to the front of the class and begins scolding the other kids? The student is trying to arrogate the teacher's authority. When someone takes control of something, often without permission, such as when a military general assumes the power of a country's government after getting rid of the previous leader, they arrogate power or control to themselves. Occasionally the verb arrogate means something like "assert one's right to," or take something that is deserved, but more often it implies a taking by force.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

arrogate arrogates arrogated arrogating

“Shortly thereafter, John embarked on a series of steps to arrogate to himself complete control over Mr. Angelos’ assets.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 10, 2022

They are truly generative, an apt term for a novel that queries a selfish inventor, his damaged creature and science’s threat to arrogate creation to itself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2018

Judge Jackson said the action was “a stunning power for an agency to arrogate to itself” that the law did not support.

From New York Times ● Mar. 24, 2012

"No one in this country, however strong and sincere are his convictions and however honorable he may be, has the right to arrogate to himself to decide which laws are bad laws."

From Time Magazine Archive

"To-morrow rebellious subjects will arrogate to themselves the right to summon their King before them to trial," murmured Louis, without noticing Lebrenn's question.

From The Sword of Honor, volumes 1 & 2 or The Foundation of the French Republic, A Tale of The French Revolution by Eug?ne Sue

The rapid team collapse was head-spinning news not only in Australia but also among worldwide fans of cricket, a sport that arrogates to itself a particular moral sanctimony.

From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2018

Where the Olympic Charter goes astray is on the very next page, on which the IOC arrogates for itself Supreme Authority.

From Time Magazine Archive

What is it that arrogates that authority to someone else?

From Time Magazine Archive

As such, it has been subject to attack time immemorial from every agency that fears new truth, or that arrogates to itself the exclusive possession of particular areas of truth.

From Time Magazine Archive

Democracy means free government on behalf of the people; not on behalf of a great group which arrogates by organized majorities the right to represent the people.

From The Masques of Ottawa by Augustus Bridle

Today, we have a priest who has disbanded the pastoral council and arrogated governance to himself and his staff.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2023

To Covington & Burling, the answer was clear: it lay with Congress, and, if Trump arrogated that power to himself, the firm was prepared to take on a lawsuit pro bono.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 24, 2018

He had arrogated to himself the privilege to call, and to assume the president would take his call.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2018

But journalists have arrogated it to themselves in disproportionate numbers.

From Washington Post ● May 4, 2018

"But you don't see the point!" he arrogated through his tears, because I made rather less noise.

From Witching Hill by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung

So, of course, it’s not just that he’s arrogating the piggy bank to himself.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025

He’s also arrogating actual facts to himself, which makes this triply scary.

From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025

These masters, vexed at the refusal, unanimously determined to go to the ancient ruins, and search under ground, with a view of arrogating the merit necessary for the accomplishment of their desires.

From The Mysteries of Free Masonry Containing All the Degrees of the Order Conferred in a Master's Lodge by William Morgan

The natural consequence is that the objective world is arrogating the first place in consciousness, and the subjective world is sinking into the secondary rank.

From The Destiny of the Soul A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life by William Rounseville Alger

All before that time is founded on poetical embellishment, the speculations of theorists, or national vanity arrogating to itself a Trojan, a Grecian, or even a divine original.

From History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume I by John Dunlop