power structure
Americannoun
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the system of authority or influence in government, politics, education, etc..
The state elections threatened to upset the existing power structure.
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the people who participate in such a system.
She hoped to become a part of the power structure.
noun
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the structure or distribution of power and authority in a community
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the people and groups who are part of such a structure
Etymology
Origin of power structure
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
Although he hasn’t held any official post for five years, Raúl Castro is the patriarch of Cuba’s opaque power structure.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
The suspects, said NABU, had created a parallel power structure inside the state enterprise overseeing Ukraine's nuclear power plants, which supply half of the country's energy.
From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025
Within the current U.S. power structure, Baconi’s arguments are controversial.
From Slate • Nov. 9, 2025
In this view, every family member exists to serve the power structure, regardless of how they feel about it.
From Salon • Sep. 13, 2024
The way to form that community, said Vivian, was by working together to demand that the power structure change.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
