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

With seven decades of uncrewed flight research and 500,000 autonomous hours already in its logbooks, Northrop is betting that smart manufacturing, not just raw firepower, will win the next generation of air superiority. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026

The Red Sox needed to address the lack of firepower in the lineup — easier said than done with what was available last winter — and not doing so caught up with them here. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 4 Oct. 2026

Wall Street expects Nvidia to generate roughly $440 billion in free cash flow over the next six quarters, giving management ample firepower to repurchase shares without sacrificing investments needed to maintain its AI leadership. — Alexa Lomonaco,jeff Nash, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026

However, in another short series, the Padres wield enough firepower to beat anyone. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 2 Oct. 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