superpower
noun
su·per·pow·er
ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 
1
: excessive or superior power
2
a
: an extremely powerful nation
specifically
: one of a very few dominant states in an era when the world is divided politically into these states and their satellites
b
: an international governing body able to enforce its will upon the most powerful states
c
: an extremely powerful company, organization, etc.
The retailer hoped to become a financial services superpower …—
Patricia Sellers
Patricia Sellers3
: a power or ability (such as the ability to become invisible or to fly) of the kind possessed by superheroes : a superhuman power
The comic book Ms. Marvel offers a Muslim-American girl from New Jersey who practices her faith while using her superpower to help people.—Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-JabbarThe superpower I've always wished for is invisibility, and I chose my vocation accordingly. A novelist gets 140,000 words per one tiny author photo. That's a visibility ratio I can live with.—Barbara Kingsolver
Barbara KingsolverExamples of superpower in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the same time, the cutting-edge frontier models like the ones that power ChatGPT are out of reach for all but the world’s two AI superpowers, the US and China.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
This nifty and unexpectedly excellent eight-part series on Disney+ follows Simon, an actor with secret superpowers (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who has been trying to make it in Hollywood for years.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
The roots of this fixation go back decades, as Japan slowly shifted from an economic juggernaut to a cultural superpower exporting everything from Tamagotchi toys to Pokémon to Naruto.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Experts warn the collapse could trigger an unconstrained nuclear arms race between the superpowers.
—Vladimir Isachenkov, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for superpower
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Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
This nifty and unexpectedly excellent eight-part series on Disney+ follows Simon, an actor with secret superpowers (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who has been trying to make it in Hollywood for years.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 5 Feb. 2026
The roots of this fixation go back decades, as Japan slowly shifted from an economic juggernaut to a cultural superpower exporting everything from Tamagotchi toys to Pokémon to Naruto.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
Experts warn the collapse could trigger an unconstrained nuclear arms race between the superpowers.
—Vladimir Isachenkov, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for superpower
Cite this Entry
“Superpower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superpower. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
superpower
noun
su·per·pow·er
ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)r
: an extremely powerful nation
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