power structure
Americannoun
-
the system of authority or influence in government, politics, education, etc..
The state elections threatened to upset the existing power structure.
-
the people who participate in such a system.
She hoped to become a part of the power structure.
noun
-
the structure or distribution of power and authority in a community
-
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.
Q: You've said that this book seeks to exorcize the power structure in Nicaragua.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
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
Within the current U.S. power structure, Baconi’s arguments are controversial.
From Slate ● Nov. 9, 2025
He brought former government figures, opponents and prominent hitherto critical civil society voices into the power structure or institutions such as the appointed senate.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2025
Bill Harvey knew that for all the CIA's efforts, a big question hung over its attempts to look deep inside the Soviet power structure.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
