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
Recent Examples on the Web
Without tying it specifically to the United States, the Canadian prime minister alleged that great powers are now intent on leveraging their economic heft, geopolitical influence and military power to extract concessions from smaller states.
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Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
In Davos at the World Economic Forum, Carney condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries without mentioning Trump’s name.
—Rob Gillies, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
But more recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Perhaps more extraordinary than America’s ability and willingness to play the dominant role was the readiness of most other great powers to embrace and legitimize its dominance—even at the expense of their own potency.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for great power
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Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026
In Davos at the World Economic Forum, Carney condemned coercion by great powers on smaller countries without mentioning Trump’s name.
—Rob Gillies, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
But more recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as weapons, tariffs as leverage, financial infrastructure as coercion, supply chains as vulnerabilities to be exploited.
—Haley Ott, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026
Perhaps more extraordinary than America’s ability and willingness to play the dominant role was the readiness of most other great powers to embrace and legitimize its dominance—even at the expense of their own potency.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 18 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 4 Feb. 2026.
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