power

1 of 3

noun

pow·​er ˈpau̇(-ə)r 

often attributive

1

a(1)

: ability to act or produce an effect

You have the power to change your life.

the healing powers of plants

She lost the power of speech.

the power of being understood

It was an argument of great power.

Maybe he'd known that it was in my power to pay his debt …

—Donna Tartt

specifically : an ability that seems extraordinary or superhuman

a superhero with the power of becoming invisible

(2)

: capacity to be acted upon or to undergo an effect

Peter And The Wolf is a miniature masterpiece which has the power to be reinvented with every generation.

—Gillian Moore, quoted at telegraph.co.uk

b

: legal or official authority, capacity, or right

The President has the power to veto laws passed by Congress.

The Constitution grants to Congress the power of the purse.

She has the power to sign contracts on behalf of the company.

Each member of the club has voting power.

2

a(1)

: physical might

… a man of arrogant raw power, with a broad chest and wide shoulders …

—James McBride

Getting the floor clean required lots of muscle power.

(2)

: ability to get extra-base hits

A player once thought to lack power, he hit 60 homers over his first two full big league seasons.

—Austin Murphy

b

: mental or moral efficacy

powers of observation/concentration/invention

see also brainpower, willpower

3

a

: control, authority, or influence over others

consumers with purchasing power

The company abused its power in making employees work extra without pay.

Her darkened face had such power over me that it stopped me in the midst of my vehemence.

—Charles Dickens

b

: political control or influence

succeeded to power

the peaceful transfer of power

The new government has taken power.

The election put a new party in power.

a young leader who was raised far from the corridors/halls of power [=places where important decisions especially about political issues are made]

c

: one having control, authority, or influence

a matriarch who wielded the power in the family

He said he answers to a higher power. [=a spirit or being (such as God) with the ability to affect nature and the lives of people]

The CEO's assistant is the real power behind the throne. [=the person in a country, organization, etc., who is secretly in control]

specifically : a sovereign state see also great power, superpower, world power

d

: a country that has a lot of influence and military strength

a foreign power

e

: military force

threatened to use naval power in the conflict

see also airpower

f

: a controlling group : establishment

—often used in the phrase the powers that be

The students wanted to have a big party, but the powers that be didn't approve.

g

archaic : a force of armed men

h

chiefly dialectal : a large number or quantity

4

powers plural : an order of angels see celestial hierarchy

5

a

: the number of times as indicated by an exponent that a number occurs as a factor in a product

5 to the third power is 125

also : the product itself

8 is a power of 2

b

: cardinal number sense 2

6

a

: a source or means of supplying energy

especially : electricity

lost power during the storm

b

: motive power

c

mechanical engineering : the time rate at which work is done or energy emitted or transferred

7

: the apparent enlargement of an object by an optical instrument : magnification sense 2b

the power of a microscope

Use the highest magnification the sky allows … and crank up the power past 600x.

—Alister Ling

8

: extent of treatment, activity, or influence : scope entry 1 sense 3

9

statistics : the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis in a statistical test when a particular alternative hypothesis happens to be true

broadly : the likelihood of a statistical test to give a reliable result

In fact, even the benefits of HIIT may be inflated. … Most lab studies of short-but-intense efforts are small, limiting their statistical power.

—Cindy Kuzma

power

2 of 3

verb

powered; powering; powers

transitive verb

1

: to supply with power and especially motive power

The entire village is powered by wind.

a gas-powered lawn mower

2

: to give impetus to

New interests and skills on your team can power creativity and innovation …

—Stephanie Dillon

intransitive verb

1

: to move about by means of motive power

2

: to move with great speed or force

powered down the field toward the goal

power

3 of 3

adjective

1

: operated mechanically or electrically rather than manually

a car with power locks

power tools

2

: of, relating to, or utilizing strength

plays a power game

a power hitter

also : powerful sense 1

a power critic

3

: of, relating to, or being a meal at which influential people discuss business or politics

a power lunch

Synonyms of power

Noun

• control
• dominion
• sway
• reign
• authority

Choose the Right Synonym for power

power, authority, jurisdiction, control, command, sway, dominion mean the right to govern or rule or determine.

power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

the power to mold public opinion

authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

granted the authority to manage her estate

jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

you are responsible for the students under your control

command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

the army officer in command

sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

the empire extended its sway over the region

dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

given dominion over all the animals

power, force, energy, strength, might mean the ability to exert effort.

power may imply latent or exerted physical, mental, or spiritual ability to act or be acted upon.

the awesome power of flowing water

force implies the actual effective exercise of power.

used enough force to push the door open

energy applies to power expended or capable of being transformed into work.

a worker with boundless energy

strength applies to the quality or property of a person or thing that makes possible the exertion of force or the withstanding of strain, pressure, or attack.

use weight training to build your strength

might implies great or overwhelming power or strength.

the belief that might makes right

Examples of power in a Sentence

Noun

She is from a very wealthy family with a lot of social power.

The company abused its power, forcing workers to work overtime without pay.

The company was almost destroyed in a power struggle between its two founders.

After the emperor died, power passed to his eldest son.

the peaceful transfer of power to the newly elected president

The president was removed from power in the recent uprising.

The new government has taken power.

The rebels rose to power several years ago.

A small company with only a few products has grown to become a power in the industry.

Our state is now the region's leading economic power.

Verb

The running back powered through the defensive line.

He powered the ball past the goalie.

She powered her way to the finish line.

Adjective

The car comes equipped with power windows.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At the crux of those tensions are a gaping trade imbalance and efforts from the US to ensure its national security against an increasingly assertive China, including by expanding restrictions on China’s access to American high tech, like the advanced semiconductors needed to power AI. —Betsy Klein, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025

Together, these women find respite from, and at times refute, perennial patriarchal powers. —JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2025

Verb

That merely meant coach Brian Dutcher didn’t have to delicately parcel out playing time while massaging egos on his Mariana Trench-deep roster, and the bench shortened by circumstance delivered a 77-45 win powered by a pair of true freshmen and a typically frenetic defensive effort. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2025

In an interview with Fortune, Brockman described building AGI as an end-to-end engineering challenge, one that spans everything from how the models are designed to the chips, servers, and data centers that power the training and running of models. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2025

Adjective

Among current non-power teams, only Boise State has made an appearance. —Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025

Arkansas plays at Memphis Any SEC team that plays a non-power conference team on the road should automatically be on upset alert. —Sam Sklar, Mississippi Clarion Ledger, 18 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French poer, pouer, from poer to be able, from Vulgar Latin *potēre, alteration of Latin posse — more at potent

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

1862, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Adjective

1806, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing power

• alternative power
• at full power
• balance of power
• black power
• buying power
• corridors/halls of power
• counter-power
• do (someone) a power of good
• drawing power
• flower power
• great power
• high-power
• in power
• in someone's power
• man power
• more power to someone
• more power to someone's elbow
• motive power
• nuclear power
• on a power trip
• police power
• power-assisted steering
• power base
• power behind the throne
• power broker
• power chord
• power cut
• power dive
• power forward
• power function
• power mower
• power of attorney
• power pack
• power plant
• power play
• power point
• power politics
• power series
• power shovel
• power(s) of persuasion
• power station
• power steering
• power strip
• power structure
• power struggle
• power sweep
• power take-off
• power train
• power trip
• power up
• power walk
• pulling power
• purchasing power
• reserved power
• residual power
• resolving power
• sea power
• shift/tip/tilt the balance of power
• staying power
• taken power
• the corridors/halls of power
• the power behind the throne
• under one's own power
• war power
• will to power
• within someone's power
• world power

Rhymes for power

• bower
• cower
• dour
• flour
• flower
• fower
• glower
• hour
• our
• scour
• shower
• sour

Kids Definition

power

1 of 3 noun

pow·​er ˈpau̇(-ə)r 

1

a

: possession of control, authority, or influence over others

a politician hungry for power

b

: one having such power

especially : an independent state

China is a major power in Asia

2

: ability to act or do something

lose the power of speech

3

a

: physical might

b

: mental strength

4

: the number of times as indicated by an exponent a number occurs as a factor in a product

also : the product obtained by raising a number to a power

10³, or 10·10·10, is the 3rd power of 10

5

a

: force or energy that is or can be applied to work

electric power

b

: the time rate at which work is done or energy given off or transferred

6

: magnification sense 2b

power

2 of 3 adjective

: relating to, supplying, or using power

a power drill

power failure

power

3 of 3 verb

: to supply with power

Medical Definition

power

noun

pow·​er ˈpau̇(-ə)r 

1

: an inherent property or effect

a drug that enhances the heart's pumping power

—Kathleen Fackelmann

2

: magnification sense 2b

Legal Definition

power

noun

pow·​er

1

: capability of acting or of producing an effect

parties of unequal bargaining power

2

a

: authority or capacity to act that is delegated by law or constitution

—often used in pl.

— commerce power

often capitalized C&P : the power delegated to Congress under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution to regulate commerce especially among the states see also commerce clause

— concurrent power

: a power that is held simultaneously by more than one entity

specifically : a power delegated to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution that is also held by the states

— enumerated powers \ i-​ˈnü-​mə-​ˌrā-​təd-​, -​ˈnyü-​ \

: the powers specifically named and delegated to the federal government or prohibited to be exercised by the states under the U.S. Constitution compare reserved powers in this entry

— executive power

: the power delegated to the executive of a government

specifically : any or all of the powers delegated to the president under Article II of the U.S. Constitution

— implied power

: a power that is reasonably necessary and appropriate to carry out the purposes of a power expressly granted

especially : a power that is not specifically delegated to the federal government by the U.S. Constitution but that is implied by the necessary and proper clause to be delegated for the purpose of carrying out the enumerated powers see also McCulloch v. Maryland

— judicial power

: the power granted to the judicial branch of a government

specifically : the power delegated to the judiciary under Article III of the U.S. Constitution

— legislative power

: the power delegated to a legislative branch of a government

specifically : any or all of the powers delegated to Congress under Article I of the U.S. Constitution

— police power

: the power of a government to exercise reasonable control over persons and property within its jurisdiction in the interest of the general security, health, safety, morals, and welfare except where legally prohibited (as by constitutional provision)

— reserved powers

: the political powers reserved by a constitution to the exclusive jurisdiction of a specified political authority

specifically : powers that are not expressly delegated to the federal government nor expressly prohibited to the states and are therefore left to the states under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution compare enumerated powers in this entry

— spending power

: the power granted to a government body to make expenditures

specifically : the power delegated to Congress under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the U.S.

— taxing power

: the power granted to a government body to lay and collect taxes

specifically : such power delegated to Congress under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution

— war powers

: the powers delegated to the executive and legislative branches of the federal government relating to the waging of war: as

a : the power delegated to Congress under Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution to declare war

b : the power delegated to the president under Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution to serve as commander in chief of the armed forces

b

: an ability, authority, or right usually conferred by one person upon another to do something that effects a change in a legal relationship

specifically : such authority or right to affect another's interest in property (as by conveyance) see also power of appointment, power of attorney

— collateral power

: naked power in this entry

— general power

: a power that may be exercised in favor of anyone including the donee

— implied power

: the power of one acting under an implied agency

— naked power

: a power (as a power of sale) granted to one who has no interest in the property to which the power relates (as an executor who is not a legatee or devisee)

called also collateral power

compare power coupled with an interest in this entry

— power appendant \ -​ə-​ˈpen-​dənt \

: a power coupled with an interest (as a grant of a lease) that the donee can exercise only out of an estate (as a life estate) that he or she holds

called also power appurtenant

— power coupled with an interest

: a power accompanying an interest of the donee in the property to which the power relates

— power in gross

: a naked power exercisable by the donee only in the creation of estates that will not attach to the estate the donee holds or be satisfied out of the donee's own interest

— power of acceptance

: the power of an offeree to bind an offeror to a contract by accepting the offer

— power of modification \ -​ˌmä-​də-​fə-​ˈkā-​shən \

: a power reserved in an instrument (as one creating a trust) to make changes by a specified method

— power of revocation

: a power usually reserved by a person in an instrument (as one creating a trust) to revoke the legal relationship that the person has created or made a possibility

— power of sale

: a power granted (as in a will, trust, or mortgage) to sell the property to which the power relates often under specified circumstances (as upon the default of a mortgage)

— power of termination

: a power of a grantor or the grantor's successors in interest to enter upon an estate that was granted upon a condition after the breach of the condition in order to terminate the granted estate and revest it in the grantor or successors in interest

called also right of entry, right of reentry

— special power

: a power in which the person or class of persons to whom the disposition of property under the power is to be made is expressly designated and excludes the donee or where the power is to transfer, charge, or encumber any estate less than a fee simple

— stock power

: an irrevocable power of attorney used in making a transfer of a certificate of stock

3

a

: possession of control, authority, or influence over others

b

: one having such power

specifically : a sovereign state

c

: political control or influence