Great Power

American  

noun

1. a nation that has exceptional military and economic strength, and consequently plays a major, often decisive, role in international affairs.

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Great Power British  

noun

1. a nation that has exceptional political influence, resources, and military strength

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Other Word Forms

• Great-Power adjective
• great-power adjective

Etymology

Origin of Great Power

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

The first 80: “Since Japan surrendered in September, 1945, the world has lived in the longest peace—the longest period without Great Power war—since the Roman Empire.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

“In the two current Great Power competitions, the United States is essentially on the tactical defensive,” he points out.

From Washington Post • May 4, 2022

As he relates in his memoir, “The Back Channel,” Burns added that Russian “interest in playing a distinctive Great Power role” would “sometimes cause significant problems.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 26, 2022

“Containment is an alternative to war against a rising China,” Professor Mearsheimer proposed in his book “The Tragedy of Great Power Politics.”

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2017

Then something melted in the cruel Romans' hearts; perhaps they realized that there was some Great Power beyond them, who had inspired a raging beast of the jungle to be as gentle as a lamb.

From The Wonders of the Jungle, Book Two by Ghosh, Sarath Kumar