might is right. (14th century)

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Meaning · English

Those with more power or strength will dominate or prevail.

Literally: physical power is morally right

Examples

The company's aggressive takeover strategy is a clear example of might is right.

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.

Common questions

What does “might is right. (14th century)” mean?

Those with more power or strength will dominate or prevail. Literally: physical power is morally right

Is “might is right. (14th century)” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.