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

And now he has a new book, “The Strategy of Denial: American Defense in an Age of Great Power Conflict,” making the case for a foreign policy that leaves the post-9/11 era decisively behind.

From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2021

But there was always a Great Power to frustrate these designs.

From The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1 by Baerlein, Henry