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

In January 2022, on the eve of the full-scale assault, he warned that Russia was not a Great Power and should not be appeased.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 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

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

“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

The rising sun tipped the terraces with gold and rose, and the nude brown men, and the men children, faced the east with hands lifted to greet the coming of the Great Power.

From The Flute of the Gods by Ryan, Marah Ellis