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.

---

Great Power British  

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Great-Power
  adjective
• great-power
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Great Power

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

Eisenhower was dismissive of Churchill’s attempts to revive the wartime spirit of Great Power summitry.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

For they were born into a world of Great Power rivalries, in which, in Mark Carney's words, "the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must".

From BBC • Jan. 24, 2026

“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

In the Navy’s defense, threats shifted swiftly from the Cold War to the war on terror to the current Great Power Competition in which Russia and China are asserting themselves, he said.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 7, 2022

But, on the contrary, "one Great Power after another has used the opportunity presented by the internal difficulties of the Eastern countries to set out upon a career of annexation."

From The New World of Islam by Stoddard, Lothrop