bully pulpit

American  

[bool-ee pool-pit, puhl-pit] / ˈbʊl i ˈpʊl pɪt, ˈpʌl pɪt /

noun

1. a position of authority or public visibility, especially a political office, from which one may express one's views.

---

Etymology

Origin of bully pulpit

First recorded in 1905–10; from a remark made by President Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the U.S. 1901–09, in reference to the White House, “I suppose my critics will call that preaching, but I have got such a bully pulpit!”

Example Sentences

If Warsh goes quiet while his colleagues continue to give economic-outlook speeches, a kind of unilateral disarmament could take hold where the chair forfeits the bully pulpit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

“The truth is that when you are police chief you have a bully pulpit, and what you say or fail to say is important.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2026

Roosevelt’s challenge to Wall Street, he writes, “was largely a bully pulpit affair, with rhetoric exceeding action.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

It can also lean on the bully pulpit, issuing public statements, or launch a defect investigation, which can take months to complete and possibly lead to a recall.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Caruso also said he plans to use the bully pulpit to advocate for struggling residents and businesses.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2025