roosevelt corollary
LowHistorical, Academic
Definition
Meaning
An addition to the Monroe Doctrine, asserting the right of the United States to intervene in the affairs of Latin American countries to maintain stability.
A foreign policy principle used to justify U.S. military and political intervention in the Western Hemisphere, particularly during the early 20th century.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Used exclusively as a proper noun referring to a specific policy doctrine. Conveys a sense of imperialist or hegemonic foreign policy.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Concept is exclusively American in origin and political discourse. It is a term of U.S. diplomatic history and is rarely used in a British context except when discussing American history.
Connotations
In American usage, it can carry neutral historical or critical connotations depending on context. In international discourse, it often carries negative connotations of U.S. interventionism.
Frequency
Virtually non-existent in everyday British English. Used primarily in American academic and historical texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject: Nation/Government/Historian] + [Verb: invoked/justified/explained] + [Object: the Roosevelt Corollary] + [Adverbial: in Latin America/to stabilise the region]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Central term in discussions of U.S. foreign policy, Latin American history, and imperialism in university courses.
Everyday
Extremely rare; only encountered in advanced discussions of history or politics.
Technical
Precise historical term within the field of diplomatic history and international relations.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The Roosevelt Corollary is a part of American history.
- President Roosevelt created the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.
- Historians argue that the Roosevelt Corollary was used to justify numerous U.S. interventions in Central America.
- The Roosevelt Corollary's assertion of an international police power fundamentally altered inter-American relations for decades.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: Roosevelt CORRECTED the Monroe Doctrine by adding a rule (corollary) allowing intervention.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICS IS A GEOMETRIC PROOF (a corollary is a theorem that follows from another).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'corollary' as 'следствие' in the sense of 'investigation'. The correct term is 'следствие' in the logical/mathematical sense (логическое следствие) or 'дополнение'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'a roosevelt corollary'). It must be capitalized. / Confusing it with the Monroe Doctrine itself.
Practice
Quiz
The Roosevelt Corollary is most closely associated with which broader US policy?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it was a principle or doctrine articulated in a presidential message to Congress, not a formal law.
President Theodore Roosevelt, who announced it in 1904.
No, it was formally repudiated by the Clark Memorandum in 1928 and the later Good Neighbor Policy.
It means a proposition that follows logically from, and is an extension of, one already proven (the Monroe Doctrine).