impotent

adjective

im·​po·​tent ˈim-pə-tənt 

1

a

: not potent : lacking in power, strength, or vigor : helpless

an impotent political party

b

: unable to engage in sexual intercourse because of inability to have and maintain an erection

broadly : sterile

2

obsolete : incapable of self-restraint : ungovernable

impotent noun

impotently adverb

Did you know?

A police department may be impotent to stop the flow of drugs into a neighborhood. A group of countries may be impotent to force another country to change its human-rights policies. The impotence of a prime minister may be shown by her inability to get an important piece of legislation passed. Impotent and impotence may also have a special meaning, when they refer to a man's inability to have sexual intercourse.

Synonyms of impotent

• sterile
• barren

Examples of impotent in a Sentence

an impotent ruler who was just a figurehead

Recent Examples on the Web

Even in places that offer highly advanced health care, doctors have felt impotent trying to undo the damage when these horrors return. —Patricia Callahan, ProPublica, 19 Mar. 2026

The Iranian regime is being rendered impotent. —FOXNews.com, 19 Mar. 2026

Now impotent as a result, Jan pushes Bess to find new lovers and tell him about her dalliances with them, an odyssey that eventually drives Bess to madness. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026

But this is the first time in recent memory in which the will of the majority feels both irrelevant and totally impotent. —Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin impotent-, impotens, from in- + potent-, potens potent

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

impotent

adjective

im·​po·​tent ˈim-pət-ənt 

1

: lacking in power or strength

2

: incapable of engaging in sexual intercourse

also : sterile sense 1

—usually used of males

impotently adverb

Medical Definition

impotent

adjective

im·​po·​tent ˈim-pət-ənt 

1

: not potent

an impotent vaccine

2

: unable to engage in sexual intercourse because of inability to have and maintain an erection

broadly : sterile