bully pulpit
/ˌbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.14 in modern English
20
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
3
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An advantageous position from which to express one's views, especially a political office.
American usage
Example Sentences
- "He [Theodore Roosevelt] was sitting at his desk reading to us his forthcoming Message. He had just finished a paragraph of a distinctly ethical character, when he suddenly stopped, swung round in his swivel chair, and said: "I suppose my critics will call that preaching, but I have got such a bully pulpit!""
- "“The only option is to continue raising the issue, making it a political fight and using the bully pulpit to get more attention,” the [White House] source said."
- "At a leadership level, Ms. Hurst wishes that lawmakers would use their bully pulpit to convene constituents for more of the sorts of conversations that took place in Portugal."
- "But the 2024 year-end report has a much sharper message—with the Chief Justice using his bully pulpit to rail, quite aggressively, against four types of attacks on judicial independence[.]"
- "In his final days in office, Mr. Biden has used both his presidential power and his bully pulpit."
Etymology
From bully (“(US, slang) very good”) + pulpit (“raised desk, lectern, or platform for an orator or public speaker”), said to have been coined by the United States President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) who used the term to refer to his office, by which he meant a terrific platform from which one can advocate an agenda: see the 1909 quotation.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt/
- British English: /ˌbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt/
Usage
- American usage