as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
arrogated the corner office without obtaining prior approval
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Recent Examples of arrogate
Disney arrogates those traits, skills, and experiences, essentially using modern female ideals to challenge traditional masculine ideals.
—
Armond White, National Review, 4 Dec. 2024
Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
In every period, the essence of politics has been that a tin-pot tsar who wants to arrogate to himself the right to personal, unaccountable power needs to intimidate the honest people who are not afraid of him.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
The Bibi Files uses a mix of talking-head history and in-the-room vérité to paint its picture of a leader who has arrogated power for corrupt and self-interested reasons — the allegations are of some $250,000 in gifts received in exchange for political favors — to his country’s detriment.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Instead of deferring to the people’s representatives, as the Founders intended, today originalists on the Supreme Court have arrogated power to themselves.
—Saul Cornell / Made By History, TIME, 26 July 2024
The crescendo to this assault on expertise landed in June, when the majority’s Chevron decision arrogated to the courts regulatory calls that have been made by civil servant scientists, physicians and lawyers for the last 40 years.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 10 July 2024
The institution of the caliphate, now arrogated to themselves by the Umayyads, was thus transformed into arbitrary hereditary rule.
—Mohammed Ayoob, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2016
So why is his agency now arrogating to itself vast new regulatory power?
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Oct. 2023
Armond White, National Review, 4 Dec. 2024
Back before the federal government arrogated to itself an outsize role as financier of college education, the Wayne States of the world were where ambitious people who didn’t have a lot of money, who wanted to save money on college, or both, got their degrees.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 12 Oct. 2024
In every period, the essence of politics has been that a tin-pot tsar who wants to arrogate to himself the right to personal, unaccountable power needs to intimidate the honest people who are not afraid of him.
—Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024
The Bibi Files uses a mix of talking-head history and in-the-room vérité to paint its picture of a leader who has arrogated power for corrupt and self-interested reasons — the allegations are of some $250,000 in gifts received in exchange for political favors — to his country’s detriment.
—Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Instead of deferring to the people’s representatives, as the Founders intended, today originalists on the Supreme Court have arrogated power to themselves.
—Saul Cornell / Made By History, TIME, 26 July 2024
The crescendo to this assault on expertise landed in June, when the majority’s Chevron decision arrogated to the courts regulatory calls that have been made by civil servant scientists, physicians and lawyers for the last 40 years.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 10 July 2024
The institution of the caliphate, now arrogated to themselves by the Umayyads, was thus transformed into arbitrary hereditary rule.
—Mohammed Ayoob, Foreign Affairs, 3 Apr. 2016
So why is his agency now arrogating to itself vast new regulatory power?
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Oct. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arrogate
Verb
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At that point, Hamas had emerged victorious in elections and seized power amid a violent rift with the PA's leading Fatah faction, still led by Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas.—
Newsweek Staff,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Apr. 2025
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Illinois was among the first states to pass an NIL law, and Kolak was ready to seize the moment.—
Stacy St. Clair,
ProPublica,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The movie takes place in 1957, when Genovese is jealous of Costello’s power and influence and wants to usurp him as the big boss in New York.—
Olivia B. Waxman,
TIME,
20 Mar. 2025
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The lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, claims OPM is usurping congressional authority.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
20 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Then, in 2010, the bank where the chips were stored confiscated the chips after opening the deposit box.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr.,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
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The animals were confiscated and given to multiple wildlife agencies for care, according to the post.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There was not a vast gulf between the teams on Saturday but Wolves had the edge in terms of quality, none more so than substitute Pablo Sarabia, who stepped off the bench to grab a goal and an assist with an ice-cool finish and a clever pass for Strand Larsen.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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Roberts grabbed eight boards vs. Gonzaga in the round of 32, 12 vs. Purdue in the Sweet 16 and 12 more vs. Duke in the Final Four.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Unlike classical computing, which processes information through bits that can exist in either zeros or ones, quantum computing is an evolving field where quantum bits (or qubits) can occupy both zero and one in a single unit.—
Rachel Curry,
CNBC,
6 Apr. 2025
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A couple of Jacob's cowboys take position on the roof, Zane takes cover out front, Elizabeth arms herself with a shotgun inside, and Cara occupies a sniper perch with her husband's elk rifle.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Iran experts have claimed that the fatwa is non-existent.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
10 Apr. 2025
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Müller’s central argument has been that populism should primarily be defined as a movement in which a leader claims to represent a silenced or forgotten—and almost always exclusionary—majority.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arrogate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arrogate. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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