We have met the enemy, and they are ours

Cultural

A message sent from the naval Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812, announcing a victory for the United States. The naval commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, addressed the words to the American land armies.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He is remembered as the Hero of Lake Erie for defeating the British navy in 1813, famously reporting: “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”

From The Guardian

“Don’t give up the ship” and “We have met the enemy and they are ours” entered the American lexicon.

From US News

His laconic dispatch, "We have met the enemy, and they are ours," is modestly exultant.

From Project Gutenberg

It is said that when Commodore Perry wrote, "We have met the enemy and they are ours," after his memorable victory on Lake Erie, that one hundred sharpshooters from Kentucky had aided in the capture.

From Project Gutenberg

We have met the enemy and they are ours.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023