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powerless

[ pou-er-lis ]
/ ˈpaʊ ər lɪs /
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See synonyms for: powerless / powerlessly / powerlessness on Thesaurus.com

adjective
unable to produce an effect: a disease against which modern medicine is virtually powerless.
lacking power to act; helpless: His legs crumpled, and he was powerless to rise.
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Origin of powerless

First recorded in 1545–55; power + -less

OTHER WORDS FROM powerless

pow·er·less·ly, adverbpow·er·less·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use powerless in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for powerless

powerless
/ (ˈpaʊəlɪs) /

adjective
without power or authority

Derived forms of powerless

powerlessly, adverbpowerlessness, noun
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
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