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Explaining "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely"

Reviewed and edited by Lloyd Cooper 15/11/2024, 04:33
English.me team member

What does it mean?

Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely

The phrase means that when a person gains power, they are likely to become corrupt or make unethical decisions. The more power they have, the more likely they are to be corrupted or act without moral restraint.

Tone

Cautionary

Origin

The phrase is often attributed to Lord Acton, a British historian, who wrote in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Examples of usage

  • The dictator's reign exemplified the adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
  • When the CEO assumed unchecked control over the company, it became evident that power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.
  • The novel explores the theme that power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely as the protagonist gains influence and begins to abuse it.