powerful

adjective

pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl How to pronounce powerful (audio)
Synonyms of powerfulnext
1
: having great power, prestige, or influence
a powerful leader
2
: leading to many or important deductions
a powerful set of postulates

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
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When asked to divulge what his tactics would be against the powerful Swiss team in Saturday’s World Cup opener for the two nations, Lopetegui couldn’t help but unleash a sarcastic but realistic response. Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 13 June 2026 The conflict began on June 13, 2025, when Israel targeted the heart of Iran’s nuclear program and its missile capabilities — an unprecedented attack that also killed several of Iran’s most powerful figures. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 13 June 2026 The unexpected move comes just days after Anthropic announced Fable 5 and Mythos 5, two powerful models that the company touted as state-of-the-art across a number of different industry benchmarks. Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 13 June 2026 The powerful currents of flash floods can carry drivers off the road. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for powerful

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of powerful was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Powerful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerful. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

powerful

adjective
pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl How to pronounce powerful (audio)
: full of or having power or influence : strong, effective
powerfully adverb

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