bully pulpit: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (C2)Formal, primarily journalistic and political discourse.
Quick answer
What does “bully pulpit” mean?
A prominent public position or office, especially one that provides the holder with a powerful platform from which to promote ideas, influence opinion, or advocate for policies.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A prominent public position or office, especially one that provides the holder with a powerful platform from which to promote ideas, influence opinion, or advocate for policies.
The ability, afforded by such a public position, to command media and public attention in order to shape the national agenda, apply moral pressure, or rally support for a cause.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Concept is understood in the UK but is a distinctly American political term coined by US President Theodore Roosevelt. It is used much more frequently and naturally in American political commentary.
Connotations
In the US, it strongly connotes the modern presidency and its unique power to command attention. In the UK, it is a more academic term for any high-profile leadership platform.
Frequency
Very common in US political journalism and analysis; relatively rare in everyday UK English, though used in political science contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “bully pulpit” in a Sentence
[Subject] uses/employs the bully pulpit to [infinitive verb phrase]The [position, e.g., presidency] provides a bully pulpit for [noun phrase]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bully pulpit” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The Prime Minister sought to leverage his bully pulpit to gain support for the new treaty.
American English
- The President is expected to bully-pulpit the infrastructure bill during his press conference.
adverb
British English
- He spoke bully-pulpitly about the need for national unity. (Extremely rare/awkward)
American English
- She argued bully-pulpitly for the reform. (Extremely rare/awkward)
adjective
British English
- The Chancellor's bully-pulpit address failed to sway public opinion on the budget.
American English
- It was a classic bully-pulpit moment during the State of the Union.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might refer to a CEO using their public profile to advocate for industry changes.
Academic
Common in political science, communications, and history to analyse executive power and media influence.
Everyday
Very rare. Used almost exclusively in discussions of politics and media.
Technical
A term of art in political communication and presidential studies.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bully pulpit”
- Using it to mean a position from which one bullies others.
- Using 'bully pulpit' as a verb (e.g., 'He bully-pulpited the issue').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It uses an archaic, positive sense of 'bully' meaning 'excellent' or 'first-rate', as in the phrase 'bully for you'. The term describes a superb platform for speaking.
No. While coined for the US presidency, the term applies to any prominent public position (e.g., governor, CEO, celebrity, university chancellor) that provides a platform with a large, captive audience.
Yes, it is formal and primarily used in journalistic, academic, and political contexts. It is not common in casual conversation.
US President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909). He referred to the White House as a 'bully pulpit', meaning a terrific platform from which to advocate his agenda.
A prominent public position or office, especially one that provides the holder with a powerful platform from which to promote ideas, influence opinion, or advocate for policies.
Bully pulpit: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbʊli ˈpʊlpɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To preach from the bully pulpit.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BULLY (meaning 'great' in old slang) in a church PULPIT, not to threaten, but to give a powerful speech that everyone must listen to.
Conceptual Metaphor
PUBLIC OFFICE IS A PREACHER'S PLATFORM (where ideas are sermons and the public is the congregation).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary characteristic of a 'bully pulpit'?