arrogance

noun
ar·​ro·​gance | \ ˈer-ə-gən(t)s How to pronounce arrogance (audio) , ˈa-rə- \

Definition of arrogance

: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions

Examples of arrogance in a Sentence

He was like a movie star at his high school reunion, muting his arrogance and trying to be a regular guy for old times' sake. He seemed to genuinely appreciate the honor. — Carlo Rotella, New York Times Sports Magazine, June 2008 This kind of official arrogance is not new, of course, although it is perhaps more common in dictatorships than in democracies. — Ian Buruma, New York Times Book Review, 17 Sept. 2006 Arrogance is, at once, what an athlete most needs and what fans least want to see. — Dan Le Batard, ESPN, 15 Mar. 2004 A British expat who could have stepped out of a Graham Greene plot, Twyman makes an improbable Jamaican hero. His self-assurance borders on arrogance, particularly when something is not done precisely the way he would do it himself. — Barry Estabrook, Gourmet, July 2003 Her arrogance has earned her a lot of enemies. We were shocked by the arrogance of his comments. See More
Recent Examples on the Web But in the case of the Martha’s Vineyard migrant trafficking operation, this arrogance and moral certainty may have finally tripped up DeSantis. Kartik Krishnaiyer, The New Republic, 21 Sep. 2022 Such actions cast a shocking light on a bureaucracy corrupted by power, arrogance and petty opportunism. Ted Gup, CNN, 29 Aug. 2022 That's a little bit of arrogance, right, sometimes in American foreign policy. CBS News, 13 July 2022 He has already been accused of arrogance and blaming others for his own faults, instead of facing up to any of the mistakes that led to his departure. Guy Davies, ABC News, 7 July 2022 Perhaps most revealing is the corrosive consideration of living and working in a country that has shown such cold imperialistic arrogance toward his own. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 Aside from inexcusable arrogance — overriding his baseball people to make one bad decision after another — Moreno treated his staffers like dirt and was a disgrace in the Latino community. Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Aug. 2022 China’s diplomatic arrogance has further agitated the Continent. Tom Rogan, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2022 This last comment bears a trace of self-aware arrogance (all these others so blind to wonder!); the book feels least interesting when this particular strain of Ball’s personality comes to the fore. Nathan Deuel, Los Angeles Times, 18 Aug. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'arrogance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of arrogance

14th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for arrogance

Middle English arrogaunce, errogaunce, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French arrogance, arrogaunce, borrowed from Latin arrogantia, noun derivative of arrogant-, arrogans "insolent, overbearing, arrogant"

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Time Traveler for arrogance

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The first known use of arrogance was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near arrogance

arroba

arrogance

arrogancy

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Statistics for arrogance

Last Updated

5 Oct 2022

Cite this Entry

“Arrogance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogance. Accessed 11 Oct. 2022.

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More Definitions for arrogance

arrogance

noun
ar·​ro·​gance | \ ˈer-ə-gəns How to pronounce arrogance (audio) \

Kids Definition of arrogance

: a person's sense of his or her own importance that shows itself in a proud and insulting way

More from Merriam-Webster on arrogance

Nglish: Translation of arrogance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of arrogance for Arabic Speakers

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