The powers that be
Encyclopedia
In idiom
atic English
, "the powers that be" is a phrase used to refer to those individuals or groups who collectively hold authority over a particular domain. It is a plurale tantum
; the singular
equivalent, "the power that is," is less commonly used.
The abbreviation
TPTB is used in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The phrase often connotes a sense of resignation or cynicism. For instance, the phrase The powers that be have decided... might suggest that the decision made is unfathomable to the speaker and possibly even arbitrary. The authority of the "powers," and their right to make the decision, is not itself necessarily questioned.
However, the song Powderfinger, by Neil Young
uses the phrase to refer to an ambiguous spiritual powers, not political powers.
Some examples of "powers that be" are:
's 1526 translation of the New Testament
, with the meaning "the established political powers": "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God" . It was incorporated into the King James Version, whence it eventually passed into popular language.
The phrase is a translation of the Koine Greek
αἱ ... οὖσαι [ἐξουσίαι] (hai ... oûsai [exousíai]). ἐξουσίαι is translated as "authorities" in some other translations.
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
atic English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, "the powers that be" is a phrase used to refer to those individuals or groups who collectively hold authority over a particular domain. It is a plurale tantum
Plurale tantum
A plurale tantum is a noun that appears only in the plural form and does not have a singular variant for referring to a single object...
; the singular
Grammatical number
In linguistics, grammatical number is a grammatical category of nouns, pronouns, and adjective and verb agreement that expresses count distinctions ....
equivalent, "the power that is," is less commonly used.
The abbreviation
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
TPTB is used in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The phrase often connotes a sense of resignation or cynicism. For instance, the phrase The powers that be have decided... might suggest that the decision made is unfathomable to the speaker and possibly even arbitrary. The authority of the "powers," and their right to make the decision, is not itself necessarily questioned.
However, the song Powderfinger, by Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
uses the phrase to refer to an ambiguous spiritual powers, not political powers.
Some examples of "powers that be" are:
- GovernmentGovernmentGovernment refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
s, both central and localLocal governmentLocal government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
, and the accompanying civil serviceCivil serviceThe term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations.... - The upper management of a businessBusinessA business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
- Those who control the dissemination of information.
- Controlling bodies in any organization or activity
Origin
The phrase first appeared in TyndaleWilliam Tyndale
William Tyndale was an English scholar and translator who became a leading figure in Protestant reformism towards the end of his life. He was influenced by the work of Desiderius Erasmus, who made the Greek New Testament available in Europe, and by Martin Luther...
's 1526 translation of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
, with the meaning "the established political powers": "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God" . It was incorporated into the King James Version, whence it eventually passed into popular language.
The phrase is a translation of the Koine Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
αἱ ... οὖσαι [ἐξουσίαι] (hai ... oûsai [exousíai]). ἐξουσίαι is translated as "authorities" in some other translations.