soft power

British

noun

the ability to achieve one's goals without force, esp by diplomacy, persuasion, etc Compare hard power

"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

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.

The state visit, carried out on behalf of the UK government, is a soft power attempt to strengthen relations, in a year in which the US is marking its 250th anniversary of independence.

From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026

It projected American generosity and soft power in ways that built lasting alliances far more efficiently than could ever be achieved militarily.

From Slate • Apr. 23, 2026

"This is extremely significant for the future of K-culture and the nation of Korea because it means that unprecedented growth in soft power will continue," he told AFP.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

She might have mentioned Hollywood or Broadway, two wellsprings of U.S. cultural soft power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

With my soft power, I was finding I could be strong.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023