superpower

noun

su·​per·​pow·​er ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

1

: excessive or superior power

2

a

: an extremely powerful nation

specifically : one of a very few dominant states in an era when the world is divided politically into these states and their satellites

b

: an international governing body able to enforce its will upon the most powerful states

c

: an extremely powerful company, organization, etc.

The retailer hoped to become a financial services superpower …

—Patricia Sellers

3

: a power or ability (such as the ability to become invisible or to fly) of the kind possessed by superheroes : a superhuman power

The Fantastic Four first appeared in November 1961, originating with four friends who journeyed to space to thwart the Russians from getting there first. They were overwhelmed by a menacing radiation cloud and their molecular structure was altered, giving each of them superpowers.

—Laura Mattoon D'Amore

The superpower I've always wished for is invisibility, and I chose my vocation accordingly. A novelist gets 140,000 words per one tiny author photo. That's a visibility ratio I can live with.

—Barbara Kingsolver

superpowered

ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)rd 

adjective

Examples of superpower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Everyone will witness that your visionary ability to see what things can become is a superpower. —Debbie Frank, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024

Assimilation is The Captain’s superpower, until assimilation begins to destroy him, and Xuande captures that sense of invisibility perfectly. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024

In the attention economy, sports are still a superpower. —Sergii Denysenko, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

But is there a particular point campaign that encouraged you to continue to embrace your smile as your superpower? —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 25 Mar. 2024

Swint sees being a Black woman in leadership as a superpower and encourages others to own their perspectives. —Essence, 28 Mar. 2024

She’s gained not only notoriety but superpowers via a Tinkerbell-esque sidekick Billy Blind (Nick Mohammed). —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024

The Soviet Union was still standing, while China was just emerging as a global superpower. —Maria Aspan, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024

The only authority with any real clout is that in Beijing, given China’s role as regional superpower and the fact that its nationals are both victims and perpetrators. —TIME, 21 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

superpower

noun

su·​per·​pow·​er ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

: an extremely powerful nation