powerful

adjective

pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl 

1

: having great power, prestige, or influence

a powerful leader

2

: leading to many or important deductions

a powerful set of postulates

Synonyms of powerful

• influential
• significant
• strong
• important

Examples of powerful in a Sentence

The country is becoming more and more powerful.

powerful drugs that attack cancer cells

The cash bonus provides a powerful incentive to workers.

The perfume has a powerful smell.

It's a very powerful movie.

The dog has a powerful body.

She has a powerful voice.

The weapons are very powerful.

The aardvark uses its powerful claws to dig for food.

Recent Examples on the Web

Separately, a senior military officer with the forces of powerful commander Khalifa Hifter was killed in a car bomb Monday evening in the eastern city of Benghazi, authorities said. — ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026

Venus in your 8th House of Intimacy and Shared Resources trines Pluto early on, helping money talks, emotional honesty, and private connection feel more powerful and supportive. — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 10 Aug. 2026

Typhoon Dolphin, the most powerful cyclone to hit China this year, made landfall in the eastern coastal province of Zhejiang on Sunday, with more than one million people evacuated. — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Thanks to powerful computer models and precise measurements, scientists can determine the path of an eclipse years, decades or even millennia in advance. — Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing powerful

• all-powerful

Kids Definition

powerful

adjective

pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl 

: full of or having power or influence : strong, effective

powerfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb