What does the pen is mightier than the sword mean?
Definitions for the pen is mightier than the sword
the pen is might·ier than the sword
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word the pen is mightier than the sword.
Wiktionary
the pen is mightier than the swordproverb
More influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.
Etymology: This phrasing due to Bulwer-Lytton 1839, in his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy:
Wikidata
The pen is mightier than the sword
"The pen is mightier than the sword" is a metonymic adage coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy. The play was about Cardinal Richelieu, though in the author's words "license with dates and details... has been, though not unsparingly, indulged." The Cardinal's line in Act II, scene II, was more fully: True, This! — Beneath the rule of men entirely great The pen is mightier than the sword. Behold The arch-enchanters wand! — itself is nothing! — But taking sorcery from the master-hand To paralyse the Cæsars, and to strike The loud earth breathless! — Take away the sword — The play opened at London's Covent Garden Theatre on 7 March 1839 with William Charles Macready in the lead role. Macready believed its opening night success was "unequivocal"; Queen Victoria attended a performance on 14 March. In 1870, literary critic Edward Sherman Gould wrote that Bulwer "had the good fortune to do, what few men can hope to do: he wrote a line that is likely to live for ages." By 1888 another author, Charles Sharp, feared that repeating the phrase "might sound trite and commonplace". The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, which opened in 1897, has the adage decorating an interior wall. Though Bulwer's phrasing was novel, the idea of communication surpassing violence in efficacy had numerous predecessors.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of the pen is mightier than the sword in Chaldean Numerology is: 4
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of the pen is mightier than the sword in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Translations for the pen is mightier than the sword
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- القلم اقوى من السيفArabic
- pero je mocnější než mečCzech
- Die Feder ist mächtiger als das SchwertGerman
- η πένα είναι ισχυρότερη από το ξίφοςGreek
- la pluma es mas poderosa que la espadaSpanish
- the pen is mightier than the swordFrench
- a toll hatalmasabb, mint a kardHungarian
- գրիչը թուրից զորեղ էArmenian
- pena lebih kuat dari pada pedangIndonesian
- la penna è più forte della spadaItalian
- העט חזק יותר מהחרבHebrew
- ペンは剣よりも強大ですJapanese
- 펜은 칼보다 강하다Korean
- Calamus gladio fortiorLatin
- de pen is machtiger dan het zwaardDutch
- A caneta é mais poderosa do que a espadaPortuguese
- Stiloul e mai puternic decât sabiaRomanian
- ручка сильнее мечаRussian
- pennan är mäktigare än svärdetSwedish
- பேனாமுனை கத்தியைவிட வலிமையானதுTamil
- kalem kılıçtan keskindirTurkish
- перо сильніше мечаUkrainian
- قلم تلوار سے زیادہ طاقتور ہےUrdu
- Ngòi bút mạnh hơn thanh kiếmVietnamese
Get even more translations for the pen is mightier than the sword »
Translation
Find a translation for the the pen is mightier than the sword definition in other languages:
Select another language:
- - Select -
- 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
- 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
- Español (Spanish)
- Esperanto (Esperanto)
- 日本語 (Japanese)
- Português (Portuguese)
- Deutsch (German)
- العربية (Arabic)
- Français (French)
- Русский (Russian)
- ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
- 한국어 (Korean)
- עברית (Hebrew)
- Gaeilge (Irish)
- Українська (Ukrainian)
- اردو (Urdu)
- Magyar (Hungarian)
- मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
- Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Italiano (Italian)
- தமிழ் (Tamil)
- Türkçe (Turkish)
- తెలుగు (Telugu)
- ภาษาไทย (Thai)
- Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
- Čeština (Czech)
- Polski (Polish)
- Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
- Românește (Romanian)
- Nederlands (Dutch)
- Ελληνικά (Greek)
- Latinum (Latin)
- Svenska (Swedish)
- Dansk (Danish)
- Suomi (Finnish)
- فارسی (Persian)
- ייִדיש (Yiddish)
- հայերեն (Armenian)
- Norsk (Norwegian)
- English (English)
Word of the Day
Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?
Citation
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
Style:MLAChicagoAPA
"the pen is mightier than the sword." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/the+pen+is+mightier+than+the+sword>.
Discuss these the pen is mightier than the sword definitions with the community:
Report Comment
We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.
If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly.
Attachment
You need to be logged in to favorite.
Log In