Word: arrogate (verb)

Associations

"Arrogate" means to take or claim something without right or permission. It is often used in formal or legal contexts when someone claims power, rights, or privileges they do not have.

• Example 1: The company arrogated the right to change the contract without consulting the employees. Here, the company took a right it was not allowed.
• Example 2: He arrogated to himself the authority to make decisions for the whole team. It means he claimed authority without approval.
• Example 3: The government arrogated control over the media. This means the government took control without legal permission. Synonym: "assume" can sometimes replace "arrogate," but "assume" is more neutral and can mean "take on" with or without permission. "Arrogate" always has a negative sense of taking without right.

Substitution

Instead of "arrogate," you can use:

• "claim" (less formal, can be positive or negative)
• "usurp" (stronger, more forceful taking)
• "seize" (more physical or forceful) Changing the word changes the tone: "arrogate" sounds formal and negative, while "claim" is more neutral.

Deconstruction

• Prefix: "ar-" is a form of "ad-" meaning "to" or "toward."
• Root: "rogate" comes from Latin "rogare," meaning "to ask" or "to propose." Together, "arrogate" literally means "to ask for oneself," which evolved to mean taking something for oneself without right.

Inquiry

• Can you think of a situation where someone might arrogate power or rights?
• How does arrogating something differ from asking for permission?
• Have you ever seen a character in a story arrogate authority? How did it affect the story?