bully pulpit

English

WOTD – 20 January 2021

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:^[1] see the 1909 quotation.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt/, /-ˈpʌl-/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt/, /-ˈpʌl-/, /-ˈpəlpət/
Audio (General American): (file)
Hyphenation: bul‧ly pul‧pit

Noun

bully pulpit (plural bully pulpits)

(US, chiefly politics) An advantageous position from which to express one's views. [from early 20th c.]
- 1909 February 27, Lyman Abbott, “A Review of President Roosevelt’s Administration: Its Influence on Patriotism and Public Service”, in Lyman Abbott, editor, The Outlook, volume XCI, New York, N.Y.: The Outlook Company, →OCLC, page 430, column 1:
  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!"
- 2024, unnamed source, quoted in: James Oliphant, Joseph Ax, and Bad Brooks, Republicans scramble to contain backlash from IVF court ruling, Reuters, published in: The Christian Science Monitor, February 26 2024
  “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.
- 2024, Stephen Humphries and Alfredo Sosa, Stick, meet Carrot. How Portland police and activists teamed up to fight addiction., in: The Christian Science Monitor, July 10 2024
  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.

Usage notes

The term does not have the negative connotation of using one’s position to bully (“intimidate like a bully; act aggressively towards”) others.

Translations

advantageous position from which to express one's views

References

^ “bully pulpit, n.” under “bully, adj.¹”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1888 (2007 draft addition); “bully pulpit, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.