great power
noun
variants
often Great Power
: one of the nations that figure most decisively in international affairs : superpower
Examples of great power in a Sentence
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Washington’s neutrality preserved the republic’s future, enabling economic expansion under the funding system Hamilton designed, territorial growth through the Louisiana Purchase and beyond, and eventual emergence as a great power capable of tipping global balances.
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Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Brasília has pursued a strategy of diversifying partnerships to preserve its autonomy—maintaining cordial ties with all great powers while entangling with none.
—Oliver Stuenkel, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Similar to other great powers, the United States has long looked at its near-abroad at its exclusive domain, where the influence of geopolitical competitors must be constrained to the maximum extent possible.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
In the era of imperialism in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the great powers divided the globe into spheres of influence.
—Peter Kornbluh, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
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Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Brasília has pursued a strategy of diversifying partnerships to preserve its autonomy—maintaining cordial ties with all great powers while entangling with none.
—Oliver Stuenkel, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Similar to other great powers, the United States has long looked at its near-abroad at its exclusive domain, where the influence of geopolitical competitors must be constrained to the maximum extent possible.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2026
In the era of imperialism in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the great powers divided the globe into spheres of influence.
—Peter Kornbluh, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for great power
Cite this Entry
“Great power.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20power. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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