powerless
adjective
unable to produce an effect.
powerlessness
-
a word derived from
powerless.
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.
Going to prison meant many things: an immediate loss of freedom, bruising reputational damage and powerlessness over how it would affect my family.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
"Everything should have led you to resign," she added, pointing to the government's "powerlessness".
From Barron's ● Jan. 23, 2026
“There’s this sense of powerlessness, of not being the captain of your own ship,” said their daughter Beatrix Zilinskas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2025
Dr Biao Xiang, director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany, says that China's pretending to work trend comes from a "sense of frustration and powerlessness" regarding a lack of job opportunities.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2025
I felt angry at the guard, but I was even more irritated by my own powerlessness.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
