What does powers-that-be mean?
Powers-that-be means (plural only) Alternative spelling of powers that be..
Looking up this word…
Checking saved dictionary data and trusted language sources. This will stop automatically if a source does not respond.
Checking saved dictionary data and trusted language sources. This will stop automatically if a source does not respond.
Pronunciation varies by accent · noun
(plural only) Alternative spelling of powers that be..
On the surface, the film is a globe-trotting gross-out caper in which Nobby, who's from a hellish version of the titular Lincolnshire town ("twinned with Chernobyl"), is reunited with his long-lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong), who has become a spy for the British secret services. That makes him a servant of the powers-that-be that have no time for Nobby and his scrounging ilk.
Use powers-that-be when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.
Powers-that-be means (plural only) Alternative spelling of powers that be..
The closest synonym depends on the sentence and intended sense.
The opposite depends on the specific sense.
On the surface, the film is a globe-trotting gross-out caper in which Nobby, who's from a hellish version of the titular Lincolnshire town ("twinned with Chernobyl"), is reunited with his long-lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong), who has become a spy for the British secret services. That makes him a servant of the powers-that-be that have no time for Nobby and his scrounging ilk.
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.