as in power
the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task
the president pledged to put the full puissance of the nation into the war effort
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Recent Examples of puissance
The reboot arrives at the peak of reggaeton’s pop puissance, and rightfully incorporates a lot more of the genre and its offshoots — Latin trap included.
—
Washington Post,
26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—
Henry Alford,
The New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—
Matt Ford,
The New Republic,
14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—
The Economist,
7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—
John E. McIntyre,
baltimoresun.com,
29 Aug. 2017
Washington Post,
26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—
Henry Alford,
The New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—
Matt Ford,
The New Republic,
14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—
The Economist,
7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—
John E. McIntyre,
baltimoresun.com,
29 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puissance
Noun
-
To put these figures in perspective, the entire city of San Francisco consumes about 1 gigawatt of power.—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
-
The Hermosa Beach Pier closed Sunday morning after a truck collided with nearby power lines.—
Matthew Rodriguez,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
These moves seek to address the brain drain of top technical talent following the invasion of Ukraine by playing to a traditional Russian strength—upskilling members of a population of some 140 million people, which has historically seen success in the mathematical sciences.—
Nikita Ostrovsky,
Time,
18 June 2026
-
Nearly 30 years later, and some 52 years after the country’s first World Cup appearance in West Germany, Haiti’s players must summon that same strength.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Creative energy simmers beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to be expressed.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
20 June 2026
-
The measures would open sectors such as banking, energy, and real estate development to private capital and foreign companies.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Puissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puissance. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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