po·tent
ˈpō-tᵊnt 
1
: having or wielding force, authority, or influence : powerful
2
: achieving or bringing about a particular result : effective
3
a
: chemically or medicinally effective
a potent vaccine
b
: rich in a characteristic constituent
a potent drink
4
: able to copulate
—usually used of the male
potently
adverb
of a heraldic cross
: having flat bars across the ends of the arms see cross illustration
Synonyms
Examples of potent in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Clara Ence Morse, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The play, theater’s most potent study of denial, is harnessed by the dominant role of the overbearing father, James Tyrone, whose presence within the wretched, wrecked household requires him to loom large even when offstage.
—David Benedict, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
At least five toxins were detected in Lin’s body, including mercury and tetrodotoxin – an extremely potent poison found in pufferfish, Chinese financial magazine Caixin reported, citing people close to the video game tycoon.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
The recipe — customized in varying ways by Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and China — has produced the most potent engine the world has ever known for generating economic growth.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The power of feedback from the horses in a non-judgemental manner is potent.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
With the energy going that far south and the stream being potent and slow-moving, those elements could fuel a significant, late-season storm.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Adding veterans such as David Robertson and Kirby Yates should bolster what was a shaky bullpen last season.
2024 outlook: The Rangers again will rely on the potent offense led by Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia.
—Staff and Wire Reports, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024
With such a potent arsenal of Latin talents on Las Mujeres, DJ Tïesto’s big room remix of Bizarrap’s masterpiece feels not like a grand finale, but a trip down memory lane.
—Suzy Exposito, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The majority of laws apply to K-12 campuses, where First Amendment protections are less potent as compared to the freedoms the courts have afforded to college and university professors.
—Clara Ence Morse, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The play, theater’s most potent study of denial, is harnessed by the dominant role of the overbearing father, James Tyrone, whose presence within the wretched, wrecked household requires him to loom large even when offstage.
—David Benedict, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
At least five toxins were detected in Lin’s body, including mercury and tetrodotoxin – an extremely potent poison found in pufferfish, Chinese financial magazine Caixin reported, citing people close to the video game tycoon.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
The recipe — customized in varying ways by Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and China — has produced the most potent engine the world has ever known for generating economic growth.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2024
The power of feedback from the horses in a non-judgemental manner is potent.
—Dr. Shaheena Janjuha-Jivraj, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
With the energy going that far south and the stream being potent and slow-moving, those elements could fuel a significant, late-season storm.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024
Adding veterans such as David Robertson and Kirby Yates should bolster what was a shaky bullpen last season.
2024 outlook: The Rangers again will rely on the potent offense led by Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia.
—Staff and Wire Reports, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Mar. 2024
With such a potent arsenal of Latin talents on Las Mujeres, DJ Tïesto’s big room remix of Bizarrap’s masterpiece feels not like a grand finale, but a trip down memory lane.
—Suzy Exposito, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'potent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Potent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potent. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
potent
adjective
po·tent
ˈpōt-ᵊnt
1
: having force or power
2
: chemically or medicinally effective
a potent vaccine
3
: able to copulate
—usually used of the male
potently
adverb
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