as in power
the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task
the president pledged to put the full puissance of the nation into the war effort
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Recent Examples of puissance
The reboot arrives at the peak of reggaeton’s pop puissance, and rightfully incorporates a lot more of the genre and its offshoots — Latin trap included.
—
Washington Post,
26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—
Henry Alford,
The New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—
Matt Ford,
The New Republic,
14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—
The Economist,
7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—
John E. McIntyre,
baltimoresun.com,
29 Aug. 2017
Washington Post,
26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—
Henry Alford,
The New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—
Matt Ford,
The New Republic,
14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—
The Economist,
7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—
John E. McIntyre,
baltimoresun.com,
29 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puissance
Noun
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To put these figures in perspective, the entire city of San Francisco consumes about 1 gigawatt of power.
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The Hermosa Beach Pier closed Sunday morning after a truck collided with nearby power lines.
Noun
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The study was small, and follow-up research has not yet confirmed those results with the same strength.
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Draw upon your well of strength.
Noun
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Name the worry out loud, then choose a small boundary that protects your energy, such as turning off notifications during a demanding task.
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The episode could add further political momentum behind decarbonization, climate adaptation, electrification, and energy-efficiency investment.
Cite this Entry
“Puissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puissance. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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