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
That flexibility is a superpower.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 20 Nov. 2025
Like their counterparts around the world, governments in Africa would mostly prefer to get along with both superpowers.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 20 Nov. 2025
Even during the height of the Cold War, a time fraught with immense strategic and ideological rivalry, the two superpowers successfully avoided a nuclear exchange.
—Moritz S. Graefrath, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2025
For years, Washington has been warning others not to trust loans from Chinese state banks fueling its rise as a superpower.
—Didi Tang, Fortune, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for superpower
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 20 Nov. 2025
Like their counterparts around the world, governments in Africa would mostly prefer to get along with both superpowers.
—Andy Browne, semafor.com, 20 Nov. 2025
Even during the height of the Cold War, a time fraught with immense strategic and ideological rivalry, the two superpowers successfully avoided a nuclear exchange.
—Moritz S. Graefrath, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2025
For years, Washington has been warning others not to trust loans from Chinese state banks fueling its rise as a superpower.
—Didi Tang, Fortune, 18 Nov. 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 24 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
superpower
noun
su·per·pow·er
ˈsü-pər-ˌpau̇(-ə)r
: an extremely powerful nation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share