powers that be en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
After Romans 13:1 in the Tyndale Bible and the King James Version. The phrase is a translation of the Ancient Greek αἱ οὖσαι ἐξουσίαι (hai oûsai exousíai, “the existing authorities”). The verb be is the archaic third-person plural present indicative form, equivalent to the modern are, and not a subjunctive.
Meanings
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(idiomatic, plural, plural-only) The holders of power or the authorities in a given situation, especially if seen as being faceless or unreasonably bureaucratic.
Whoever you elect, he will legislate in favor of ‘law and order,’ to protect things as they are. The main concern of the powers that be is that the people should continue to believe in and uphold the existing system.
1929, Alexander Berkman, chapter 10, in Now and After: The ABC of Communist Anarchism, New York: Vanguard Press, →OCLC:The powers that be, they trick us / Loopholes to evict us
2021, “Skyline”, in Parallel World, performed by Cadence Weapon:Time is truly wastin', there's no guarantee / Smile is in the makin', we've got to fight the powers that be
1975, “Fight the Power (Part 1 & 2)”, in The Heat Is On, performed by The Isley Brothers:[I]t appeared as though the hospital at Barchester would fall into abeyance, unless the powers that be should take some steps towards putting it once more into working order.
1857, Anthony Trollope, “Hiram’s Hospital According to Act of Parliament”, in Barchester Towers. […], volume I, London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans, & Roberts, →OCLC, page 20:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| powers-that-be | alternative | lexicographic | |
| the powers that be | Number=Plur | canonical | lexicographic |
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (25)
nl hoge heren (holders of power) · pl grupa trzymająca władzę (holders of power) · es potestades que son (holders of power) · cmn 當權者 /当权者 (holders of power) · de die da oben (holders of power) · nl gevestigde orde (holders of power) · nl hogerhand (holders of power) · fi esivalta (holders of power) · sv makthavare (holders of power) · hu a mindenkori hatalom/rendszer (fennálló) (holders of power) · fr autorités constituées (holders of power) · ru власть имущие (holders of power) · it poteri forti (holders of power) · es poder fáctico (holders of power) · es poderes que están (holders of power) · es potestades que hay (holders of power) · el αρμόδιοι (holders of power) · de die zuständigen Stellen (holders of power) · ru сильные мира сего (holders of power) · ru власти предержащие (holders of power) · pl możni tego świata (holders of power) · kw an awtoritas (holders of power) · es poderíos existentes (holders of power) · sv överhet (holders of power) · es poderes establecidos (holders of power)