To claim or take something for oneself without justification; to assume or appropriate something presumptuously.
From Latin 'arrogare,' meaning 'to ask' or 'to claim for oneself,' combining 'ad-' (to) and 'rogare' (to ask). The word entered English in the 16th century, carrying the sense of claiming something beyond one's rightful authority.
Think of arrogate as 'arrow-gate'—shooting an arrow through someone else's gate to claim their property! It's closely related to 'arrogant'—both involve presumptuous behavior. The key insight is that arrogating always involves taking something you don't rightfully deserve.
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