Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

power

[pou-er]
See more synonyms for power on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
  2. political or national strength: the balance of power in Europe.
  3. great or marked ability to do or act; strength; might; force.
  4. the possession of control or command over others; authority; ascendancy: power over men's minds.
  5. political ascendancy or control in the government of a country, state, etc.: They attained power by overthrowing the legal government.
  6. legal ability, capacity, or authority: the power of attorney.
  7. delegated authority; authority granted to a person or persons in a particular office or capacity: the powers of the president.
  8. a document or written statement conferring legal authority.
  9. a person or thing that possesses or exercises authority or influence.
  10. a state or nation having international authority or influence: The great powers held an international conference.
  11. a military or naval force: The Spanish Armada was a mighty power.
  12. Often powers. a deity; divinity: the heavenly powers.
  13. powers, Theology. an order of angels.Compare angel(def 1).
  14. Dialect. a large number or amount: There's a power of good eatin' at the church social.
  15. Physics.
    1. work done or energy transferred per unit of time. Symbol: P
    2. the time rate of doing work.
  16. mechanical energy as distinguished from hand labor: a loom driven by power.
  17. a particular form of mechanical or physical energy: hydroelectric power.
  18. energy, force, or momentum: The door slammed shut, seemingly under its own power.
  19. Mathematics.
    1. the product obtained by multiplying a quantity by itself one or more times: The third power of 2 is 8.
    2. (of a number x) a number whose logarithm is a times the logarithm of x (and is called the ath power of x). Symbolically, y =xa is a number that satisfies the equation log y = a log x.
    3. the exponent of an expression, as a in xa.
    4. cardinal number(def 2).
  20. Optics.
    1. the magnifying capacity of a microscope, telescope, etc., expressed as the ratio of the diameter of the image to the diameter of the object.Compare magnification(def 2).
    2. the reciprocal of the focal length of a lens.
Show More
verb (used with object)
  1. to supply with electricity or other means of power: Atomic energy powers the new submarines.
  2. to give power to; make powerful: An outstanding quarterback powered the team in its upset victory.
  3. to inspire; spur; sustain: A strong faith in divine goodness powers his life.
  4. (of a fuel, engine, or any source able to do work) to supply force to operate (a machine): An electric motor powers this drill.
  5. to drive or push by applying power: She powered the car expertly up the winding mountain road.
Show More
adjective
  1. operated or driven by a motor or electricity: a power mower; power tools.
  2. power-assisted: His new car has power brakes and power windows.
  3. conducting electricity: a power cable.
  4. Informal. expressing or exerting power; involving or characteristic of those having authority or influence, as in power lunch;power couple;power suit.
Show More
Verb Phrases
  1. power down, Computers. to shut off.
  2. power up, Computers. to turn on.
Show More
Idioms
  1. the powers that be, those in supreme command; the authorities: The decision is in the hands of the powers that be.
Show More

Origin of power

1250–1300; Middle English pouer(e), poer(e) < Anglo-French poueir, poer, noun use of infinitive: to be able < Vulgar Latin *potēre (replacing Latin posse to be able, have power). See potent1
Related formscoun·ter·pow·er, nounde-pow·er, verb (used with object)re·pow·er, verb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com
1. capacity. 3. energy. 4, 5. sway, rule, sovereignty.

Synonym study

3. See strength.

Antonyms

1. incapacity. 3. weakness.

pow1

[pou]
interjection
  1. (used to express or indicate a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.)
Show More
noun
  1. a heavy blow or a loud, explosive noise.
  2. the power of exciting.
Show More
adjective
  1. exciting and appealing.
Show More

Origin of pow1

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

functiontalentinfluencecapabilitypotentialcapacityskillstrengthforceweightenergyintensityrightrulejurisdictioncloutleadershipauthorityprivilegemanagement

Examples from the Web for power

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Has this fearful pestilence no power to restrain the appetites and passions of the people?

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • But I have a secret dread of the character and power of Alcibiades.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • If a servant complained of being abused, his master had no power to retain him.

    Philothea

    Lydia Maria Child

  • Then I shall have to put it out of your power to carry out your threat.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • He was forced to admit that the girl still had power to trouble him.

    The Spenders

    Harry Leon Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for power

power

noun
  1. ability or capacity to do something
  2. (often plural) a specific ability, capacity, or faculty
  3. political, financial, social, etc, force or influence
  4. control or dominion or a position of control, dominion, or authority
  5. a state or other political entity with political, industrial, or military strength
  6. a person who exercises control, influence, or authorityhe's a power in the state
  7. a prerogative, privilege, or liberty
    1. legal authority to act, esp in a specified capacity, for another
    2. the document conferring such authority
    1. a military force
    2. military potential
  10. maths
    1. the value of a number or quantity raised to some exponent
    2. another name for exponent (def. 4)
  11. statistics the probability of rejecting the null hypothesis in a test when it is false. The power of a test of a given null depends on the particular alternative hypothesis against which it is tested
  12. physics engineering a measure of the rate of doing work expressed as the work done per unit time. It is measured in watts, horsepower, etcSymbol: P
    1. the rate at which electrical energy is fed into or taken from a device or system. It is expressed, in a direct-current circuit, as the product of current and voltage and, in an alternating-current circuit, as the product of the effective values of the current and voltage and the cosine of the phase angle between them. It is measured in watts
    2. (as modifier)a power amplifier
  14. the ability to perform work
    1. mechanical energy as opposed to manual labour
    2. (as modifier)a power mower
  16. a particular form of energynuclear power
    1. a measure of the ability of a lens or optical system to magnify an object, equal to the reciprocal of the focal length. It is measured in dioptres
    2. another word for magnification
  18. informal a large amount or quantitya power of good
  19. (plural) the sixth of the nine orders into which the angels are traditionally divided in medieval angelology
  20. in one's power (often foll by an infinitive) able or allowed (to)
  21. in someone's power under the control or sway of someone
  22. the powers that be the established authority or administration
Show More
verb (tr)
  1. to give or provide power to
  2. to fit (a machine) with a motor or engine
  3. (intr) slang to travel with great speed or force
Show More
See also power down, power up

Word Origin

C13: from Anglo-Norman poer, from Vulgar Latin potēre (unattested), from Latin posse to be able

pow1

interjection
  1. an exclamation imitative of a collision, explosion, etc
Show More

pow2

noun
  1. Scot the head or a head of hair
Show More

Word Origin

a Scot variant of poll

pow3

noun
  1. Scot a creek or slow stream
Show More

Word Origin

C15: from earlier Scots poll

POW

abbreviation for
  1. prisoner of war
Show More
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for power

n.

c.1300, "ability; ability to act or do; strength, vigor, might," especially in battle; "efficacy; control, mastery, lordship, dominion; legal power or authority; authorization; military force, an army," from Anglo-French pouair, Old French povoir, noun use of the infinitive, "to be able," earlier podir (9c.), from Vulgar Latin *potere, from Latin potis "powerful" (see potent).

Whatever some hypocritical ministers of government may say about it, power is the greatest of all pleasures. It seems to me that only love can beat it, and love is a happy illness that can't be picked up as easily as a Ministry. [Stendhal "de l'Amour," 1822]

Meaning "one who has power" is late 14c. Meaning "specific ability or capacity" is from early 15c. Meaning "a state or nation with regard to international authority or influence" [OED] is from 1726. Used for "a large number of" from 1660s. Meaning "energy available for work is from 1727. Sense of "electrical supply" is from 1896.

Phrase the powers that be is from Rom. xiii:1. As a statement wishing good luck, more power to (someone) is recorded from 1842. A power play in ice hockey so called by 1940. Power failure is from 1911; power steering from 1921.

Show More

v.

"to supply with power," 1898, from power (n.). Earlier it meant "make powerful" (1530s). Related: Powered; powering.

Show More

pow

expression imitative of a blow, collision, etc., first recorded 1881.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
power in Medicine

power

(pou′ər)
n.
  1. The capacity to perform or act effectively.
  2. Strength or force that is exerted or that is capable of being exerted.
  3. The amount of work done per unit time.
  4. A measure of the magnification of an optical instrument, such as a microscope or telescope.
Show More
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
power in Science

power

[pou′ər]
  1. The source of energy used to operate a machine or other system.
  2. The rate at which work is done, or energy expended, per unit time. Power is usually measured in watts (especially for electrical power) or horsepower (especially for mechanical power). For a path conducting electrical current, such as a component in an electric circuit, P = VI, where P is the power dissipated along the path, V is the voltage across the path, and I is the current through the path. Compare energy work.
  3. Mathematics The number of times a number or expression is multiplied by itself, as shown by an exponent. Thus ten to the sixth power, or 106, equals one million.
  4. A number that represents the magnification of an optical instrument, such as a microscope or telescope. A 500-power microscope can magnify an image to 500 times its original size.
Show More
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
power in Culture

power

In physics, the amount of energy put out or produced in a given amount of time. Power is often measured in watts or kilowatts.

In mathematics, a power is a number multiplied by itself the number of times signified by an exponent placed to the right and above it. Thus, 32, which means 3 × 3, is a power — the second power of three, or three squared, or nine. The expression 106, or ten to the sixth power, means 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10 × 10, or one million.

Show More
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with power

power

In addition to the idioms beginning with power

  • power behind the throne
  • powers that be, the

also see:

  • corridors of power
  • more power to someone
  • staying power
Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.