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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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Such programming has been a major hit for Netflix since debuting WWE Raw in January, and Disney is clearly hoping for something of the same regular tune-in power for its sports app.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Protests throughout the spring and summer have demonstrated significant (and even international) opposition to the Trump Administration’s agenda, particularly its attempts to consolidate power and undermine key institutions and services.—
Time,
Time,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Europe’s traditionally weaker economies have outperformed the core countries in recent years, and now nations like Spain, Italy, and Portugal as well as Greece can borrow at the same costs as France and Germany, a sign both of their strength and the European giants’ weakness.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Everything will depend on this – the Russians factor in American strength.—
Franco Ordoñez,
NPR,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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China unveiled a new national energy law at the beginning of 2025 to coordinate its many energy-centric efforts.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
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Cape Town, too, balances urban energy with natural grandeur.—
Erina Pinar,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puissance. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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