Meanings
- idiomaticmetonymicallyMore influence and power can be usurped by writing than by fighting.
If my teachers had not told me that the pen is mightier than the sword, if my parents had not told me that I have to respect books, I would not have developed that respect for knowledge.
2011, Qazi Nasir Uddin, Ph.D., The Other Side, Author House, page 1081 more example
If the pen is mightier than the sword in American history, it is more likely the pen of a novelist than the typewriter of a reporter — Harriet Beecher Stowe stimulating antislavery sentiment or Upton Sinclair enlisting citizens in outrage against the food-processing industry.
1982, Michael Schudson, The Power of News, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 142
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
This phrasing due to Bulwer-Lytton, 1839. The sentiment is traditional, and has many antecedents; see Wikipedia.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 文勝於武，筆勝於劍 /文胜于武, 笔胜于剑
- 文勝於武，筆勝於劍 /文胜于武more power can be usurped by writing than fighting
- 笔胜于剑 (wén shèng yú wǔ, bǐ shèng yú jiàn)more power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Danish pennen er mægtigere end sværdet
- pennen er mægtigere end sværdetmore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Esperanto plumo estas pli potenca ol spado
- plumo estas pli potenca ol spadomore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Estonian sõna vägi on suurem kui sõjavägi
- sõna vägi on suurem kui sõjavägimore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Finnish kynä on miekkaa mahtavampi
- kynä on miekkaa mahtavampimore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
French la plume est plus forte que l’épée
- la plume est plus forte que l’épéemore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
German die Feder ist mächtiger als die Klinge
- die Feder ist mächtiger als die Klingemore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Greek η γλώσσα κόκαλα δεν έχει μα κόκαλα τσακίζει
- η γλώσσα κόκαλα δεν έχει μα κόκαλα τσακίζει (i glóssa kókala den échei ma kókala tsakízei)more power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Italian ne uccide più la penna della spada, la penna ferisce più della spada
- ne uccide più la penna della spadamore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
- la penna ferisce più della spadamore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Japanese ペンは剣よりも強し
- ペンは剣よりも強し (pen wa ken yori mo tsuyoshi)more power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Latin cedant arma togae
- cedant arma togaemore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Norwegian Bokmål pennen er mektigere enn sverdet
- pennen er mektigere enn sverdetmore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Polish pióro jest silniejsze od miecza
- pióro jest silniejsze od mieczamore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Portuguese a pena é mais forte que a espada, a pena é mais forte do que a espada
- a pena é mais forte que a espadamore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
- a pena é mais forte do que a espadamore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Spanish la pluma es más poderosa que la espada
- la pluma es más poderosa que la espadamore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Swedish pennan är mäktigare än svärdet
- pennan är mäktigare än svärdetmore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Thai ปากกาคมกว่าดาบ
- ปากกาคมกว่าดาบ (bpàak-gaa-kom-gwàa-dàap)more power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Turkish kalem kılıçtan keskindir
- kalem kılıçtan keskindirmore power can be usurped by writing than fighting
Cite this entry
the pen is mightier than the sword. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20pen%20is%20mightier%20than%20the%20sword
“the pen is mightier than the sword.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20pen%20is%20mightier%20than%20the%20sword. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the pen is mightier than the sword,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20pen%20is%20mightier%20than%20the%20sword.
Source: the pen is mightier than the sword on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.