potency

noun

po·​ten·​cy ˈpō-tᵊn(t)-sē 

plural potencies

1

a

: force, power

b

: the quality or state of being potent

c

: the ability or capacity to achieve or bring about a particular result

2

: potentiality sense 1

Synonyms of potency

• power
• strength
• energy
• muscle
• capacity

Examples of potency in a Sentence

The potency of her words changed many minds in the audience that night.

Any vitamin of high potency should only be taken in the proper dosage.

Recent Examples on the Web

There had been ostentatious boats before — automobile millionaire Henry Dodge had commissioned the luxurious but smaller SS Delphine in the 1920s — but Onassis brought floating plutocratic potency into a whole new age. —Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 9 May 2026

One of those is a stable, encapsulated form that protects vitamin C from breaking down when exposed to light and air while gradually releasing it into the skin for better potency and less irritation. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 8 May 2026

Drop in the fact that Japan’s navy had learned some very hard lessons from the Russo-Japanese War on the potency of dreadnoughts, and things start to fall into place (at least conceptually). —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026

Drug dealers mix fentanyl, because of its potency and low cost, with other drugs including heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, which increases the likelihood of a fatal dose, according to the DEA. —Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 6 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

potency

noun

po·​ten·​cy ˈpōt-ᵊn-sē 

plural potencies

: the quality or state of being potent

vitamins of high potency

especially : power to bring about a certain result

Medical Definition

potency

noun

po·​ten·​cy ˈpōt-ᵊn-sē 

plural potencies

: the quality or state of being potent: as

a

: chemical or medicinal strength or efficacy

a drug's potency

b

: the ability to copulate

—usually used of the male

c

: initial inherent capacity for development of a particular kind

cells with a potency for eye formation