firepower

noun

fire·​pow·​er ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

1

a

: the capacity (as of a military unit) to deliver effective fire on a target

b

: effective fire

2

a

: effective power or force

intellectual firepower

b

: the scoring ability of a team or player

Synonyms of firepower

• power
• strength
• energy
• capability
• muscle
• capacity

Examples of firepower in a Sentence

The army didn't have the firepower to defeat the invaders.

right now the President doesn't have the political firepower to push his programs through Congress

Recent Examples on the Web

The Detroit Tigers reportedly added some firepower to its rotation on Wednesday night. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026

The form of Igor Jesus — 11 goals in all competitions — and the return to fitness of Taiwo Awoniyi has helped ease concerns over firepower, but Chris Wood — who scored 20 goals last season — remains sidelined with a knee injury. —Paul Taylor, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026

Such an expansion would be pointless; the United States has more than enough nuclear firepower to deter both Beijing and Moscow. —Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026

Senior Ciena Alipio and junior Sydney Barros provided major firepower on three events. —Daily News, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for firepower

• candlepower
• cauliflower
• overpower
• superpower
• vavasour
• waterpower
• airpower
• brainpower
• devour
• empower
• horsepower
• manpower

Kids Definition

firepower

noun

fire·​pow·​er -ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

: the ability to deliver gunfire or warheads on a target