potent
1 Americanadjective
-
powerful; mighty.
a potent fighting force.
- Antonyms:
- weak
-
cogent; persuasive.
Several potent arguments were in his favor.
-
producing powerful physical or chemical effects.
a potent drug.
-
having or exercising great power or influence.
a potent factor in the economy.
- Synonyms:
- influential
- Antonyms:
- ineffectual
-
(of a male) capable of sexual intercourse.
noun
-
a fur having a pattern of T -shaped forms, placed in alternate directions and having alternating tinctures, one metal and one color, so that all forms of one tincture face the same way and are between, above, and below forms of the other tincture facing the other way.
-
a T -shaped form used in potent or counterpotent.
adjective
adjective
-
possessing great strength; powerful
-
(of arguments, etc) persuasive or forceful
-
influential or authoritative
-
tending to produce violent physical or chemical effects
a potent poison
-
(of a male) capable of having sexual intercourse
adjective
Usage
What does potent mean? Potent means strong, powerful, and effective.It’s commonly applied to things that produce a powerful physical or chemical effect, especially medications and drugs.It can also be used in a more general way to describe the power or effectiveness of someone or something, such as a leader or a statement.The noun form of potent is potency.Example: The medicine is extremely potent, which means that it needs to be used very carefully according to the instructions.
Related Words
See powerful.
Other Word Forms
- potently adverb
- potentness noun
Etymology
Origin of potent1
First recorded in 1490–1500; from Latin potent- (stem of potēns ), present participle of posse “to be able, have power”; potent
Origin of potent2
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English potente “crutch, staff, support,” from Middle French potente, potence “crutch, support,” ultimately from Medieval Latin potentia, Latin: power, potency; potent 1 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A theme especially potent on Trans Day of Visibility, a holiday organizers wanted the Joy Who Lived to coincide with.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
Google's AI model Gemini has emerged as another potent competitor, with Elon Musk's xAI also attracting investment and users.
From Barron's • Mar. 31, 2026
But the memes ensured he remained a potent cultural force long after his last big-screen credits rolled.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
The firm’s potent culture, Mr. Blankfein once said, blended confidence and excellence with “an inbred insecurity that drives people.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Color is so potent that it does not need a system to work its magic in art.
From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
