power plant

American  

Or powerplant

noun

1. a plant, including engines, dynamos, etc., and the building or buildings necessary for the generation of power, as electric or nuclear power.

2. the machinery for supplying power for a particular mechanical process or operation.

3. the engine, motor, or other power source along with related ignition, transmission, etc., components of a vehicle, aircraft, machine, etc.

---

power plant British  

noun

1. the complex, including machinery, associated equipment, and the structure housing it, that is used in the generation of power, esp electrical power

2. the equipment supplying power to a particular machine or for a particular operation or process

---

Etymology

Origin of power plant

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Overview Energy’s vision for a space-based power plant that beams energy back to Earth is still hypothetical.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 27, 2026

It would later become clear that firefighters and power plant workers had spent the night risking lethal doses of radiation to tackle a huge toxic blaze.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog said attacks near Iran's Bushehr atomic power plant "pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop".

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran's only operational civilian nuclear facility, was built by Russia and officially handed over in September 2013, after decades of twists, turns and delays linked to Iran's turbulent history.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

In San Juan, New Mexico, in 1991, a pipe at a power plant burst.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller

Related Words

• power station
• station