Phrase guide

history is written by the victors

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

History is often told according to the interpretation and biases of prevailing historical actors, often those who won in geopolitical disputes or otherwise became dominant forces in society.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: التاريخ يكتبه المنتصرون — History is often subjectively told according to the biases of the victors
  • German: die Geschichte wird von den Siegern geschrieben — History is often subjectively told according to the biases of the victors
  • Vietnamese: lịch sử được viết bởi những người chiến thắng — History is often subjectively told according to the biases of the victors