great man theory

noun

A theory of history that sees it as driven by the actions of powerful individuals.

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Meanings

noun
  1. A theory of history that sees it as driven by the actions of powerful individuals.

    The number of biographies in the list does not surprise Greer because he detects an implicit “great man” theory of history in the canon.

    2024 August 31, John Naughton, “Can you judge the tech bros by their bookshelves?”, in The Observer, →ISSN
Cite this entry
APA

great man theory. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/great%20man%20theory

MLA

“great man theory.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/great%20man%20theory. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “great man theory,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/great%20man%20theory.

Source: great man theory on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.