powerful

adjective

pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl 

1

: having great power, prestige, or influence

a powerful leader

2

: leading to many or important deductions

a powerful set of postulates

Synonyms of powerful

• influential
• significant
• strong
• important

Examples of powerful in a Sentence

The country is becoming more and more powerful.

powerful drugs that attack cancer cells

The cash bonus provides a powerful incentive to workers.

The perfume has a powerful smell.

It's a very powerful movie.

The dog has a powerful body.

She has a powerful voice.

The weapons are very powerful.

The aardvark uses its powerful claws to dig for food.

Recent Examples on the Web

The centrepiece of the archaeological site is a massive rock which is more than 20 feet long and features an intriguing engraving of a powerful being. — James Rampton, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 2026

The veteran luxury executive was discussing the IFM’s 40th anniversary, and argued that its teaching across business, design and artisanal know-how makes the Paris fashion school unique — and uniquely powerful. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026

In several states, the office is established by the state constitution, often allowing for broad authority — and for many counties the sheriff might be the most visible and powerful position around. — News Editor, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026

Rather than providing general-purpose cloud computing, CoreWeave specializes in the powerful computing infrastructure needed to develop and run AI models. — Paul Meeks, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing powerful

• all-powerful

Kids Definition

powerful

adjective

pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl 

: full of or having power or influence : strong, effective

powerfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb