expression
dignified without being overbearing; authoritative yet gentle
A set phrase describing a person who commands respect through dignity and warmth, not intimidation. Often used to praise a leader or elder. The variant 威ありて猛からず (いありてたけからず) is also used.
See also: 威ありて猛からず (いありてたけからず)
彼は威あって猛からず、誰からも慕われる上司だ。
He is a boss who is dignified without being overbearing, and is beloved by everyone.
祖父は威あって猛からずという言葉を体現するような人だった。
My grandfather was a person who embodied the phrase 'dignified without being overbearing.'
Variant of the same phrase using classical ありて instead of あって. Meaning is identical, but 威あって猛からず is more common in modern usage.
A set phrase of classical Chinese origin, combining 威 (dignity, authority) with 猛 (fierce, overbearing) in a negative construction. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it has been used in Japanese as a fixed expression describing ideal leadership.