bundle of sticks
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Msop, in one of his fables, shows that sticks one by one may be readily broken ; not so when several are bound together in a bundle. The lesson taught is that "Union gives strength.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “bundle of sticks” mean?
Msop, in one of his fables, shows that sticks one by one may be readily broken ; not so when several are bound together in a bundle. The lesson taught is that "Union gives strength.
Is “bundle of sticks” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.