proverb · Words worth keeping
The arguments of the strongest have always the most weight.
The arguments of the strongest have always the most weight.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The arguments of powerful people may receive acceptance because of their position. Distinguish influence from reasons that would remain persuasive without the speaker’s power.
What the words are saying
The proverb describes arguments gaining weight from the strength of the person making them. It can expose a situation where others agree because resisting is difficult, rather than because the reasoning is sound. Ask what evidence supports the claim and whether someone without authority could make the same case successfully. Power can affect which reasons are heard, but it does not settle whether they are good reasons. The word always exaggerates the tendency; disagreement and fair procedures can still create room for a weaker voice.
Everyday example
A panel asks for evidence supporting a senior member’s proposal and hears objections from junior members before deciding.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish a convincing argument from agreement produced by unequal power.
What it does not mean
Do not assume that a powerful person is necessarily wrong; examine the reasons and conditions of agreement.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 31; French section, paragraph 607; source wording: La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.