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 Fantastic Four first appeared in November 1961, originating with four friends who journeyed to space to thwart the Russians from getting there first. They were overwhelmed by a menacing radiation cloud and their molecular structure was altered, giving each of them superpowers.—Laura Mattoon D'Amore
Laura Mattoon D'AmoreThe 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
While the conflict became a Cold War superpower showdown, its main participants were Vietnamese who fought and died for their respective ideas of sovereignty.
— Made By History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The kind of thinking that built empires and assembly lines—that beautifully predictable, step-by-step, linear logic—is starting to look less like a superpower and more like running Windows 95 in a world demanding quantum leaps.
—Lee Salisbury, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Adversaries would learn to fear America again, and allies would learn to respect it as a superpower rather than a dupe.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Behind its façade of superpower status lay a stagnating economy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superpower
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Made By History, Time, 30 Apr. 2025
The kind of thinking that built empires and assembly lines—that beautifully predictable, step-by-step, linear logic—is starting to look less like a superpower and more like running Windows 95 in a world demanding quantum leaps.
—Lee Salisbury, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Adversaries would learn to fear America again, and allies would learn to respect it as a superpower rather than a dupe.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2025
Behind its façade of superpower status lay a stagnating economy.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superpower
Cite this Entry
“Superpower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/superpower. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
superpower
noun
su·per·pow·er
ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)r
: an extremely powerful nation
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