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

Unlike governor, these positions typically have very specific duties, and with the exception of attorney general, rarely come with a bully pulpit.

From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026

The controller has a bully pulpit to vent about the city’s dire financial straits, as well as auditing powers to unearth where the city might be overspending, but does not actually manage the budget.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 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

“She’s going to have a bully pulpit, and she can talk to moms about how to care for their kids, what kind of food to give them.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 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