might makes right

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• /ˈmaɪ̯t meɪ̯ks ˈɹaɪ̯t/
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• [ˈmaɪ̯t me̞ɪ̯ks ˈɹaɪ̯t]
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• General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -aɪt
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Inherited from Middle English might is right, first attested in the 14th century. The concept is expressed by various classical authors; a similar argument is notably attributed to Thrasymachus by Plato in the Republic 340a (in Paul Shorey’s translation, “the advantage of the stronger is just”).

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Chinese Mandarin: 成王敗寇 /成王败寇 (chéngwángbàikòu) — morality cannot question the powerful
• Chinese Mandarin: 成者為王,敗者為寇 /成者为王 — morality cannot question the powerful
• Chinese Mandarin: 败者为寇 (chéng zhě wéi wáng, bài zhě wéi kòu) — morality cannot question the powerful
• Chinese Mandarin: 强權即公理 (qiángquán jí gōnglǐ) — morality cannot question the powerful
• Finnish: vahvin määrää — morality cannot question the powerful
• French: la raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure — morality cannot question the powerful
• Hindi: जिसकी लाठी उसकी भैंस (jiskī lāṭhī uskī bhains) — morality cannot question the powerful
• Italian: la ragione sta dalla parte dei forti — morality cannot question the powerful
• Japanese: 勝てば官軍負ければ賊軍 (kateba kangun, makereba zokugun) — morality cannot question the powerful
• Polish: but see kto bogatemu zabroni — morality cannot question the powerful
• Portuguese: manda quem pode, obedece quem tem juízo — morality cannot question the powerful
• Russian: кто сильнее, тот и прав (kto silʹneje, tot i prav) — morality cannot question the powerful
• Serbo-Croatian: tko jači, taj kvači — morality cannot question the powerful
• Spanish: la fuerza hace el derecho — morality cannot question the powerful
• Turkish: güçlü haklıdır — morality cannot question the powerful
• Turkish: güçlü olan haklıdır — morality cannot question the powerful
• Vietnamese: thắng làm vua, thua làm giặc — morality cannot question the powerful
• Vietnamese: mạnh được yếu thua — morality cannot question the powerful