superpower

American  

[soo-per-pou-er] / ˈsu pərˌpaʊ ər /

noun

• superpowers
  plural

1. an extremely powerful nation, especially one capable of influencing international events and the acts and policies of less powerful nations.

2. power greater in scope or magnitude than that which is considered natural or has previously existed.

3. power, especially mechanical or electric power, on an extremely large scale secured by the linking together of a number of separate power systems, with a view to more efficient and economical generation and distribution.

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superpower British  

/ ˈsuːpəˌpaʊə /

noun

1. an extremely powerful state, such as the US

2. extremely high power, esp electrical or mechanical

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superpowered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• superpowers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of superpower

First recorded in 1920–25; super- + power

Explanation

The noun superpower is good for talking about a very powerful country, especially one that's strong enough to influence the way other countries act. When one country dominates the world politically, that country is called a superpower. The United States is considered to be a superpower, and throughout most of the twentieth century, so was the Soviet Union. Political scholars have their eye on China to emerge as the next superpower in the world. Officially, one step lower than a superpower is a great power, which has slightly less influence in the world.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

superpower superpowers

“I felt like someone with a superpower and didn’t know where to put it.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

New Great British Bake Off presenter Nigella Lawson is also on the front page alongside a chocolate cake, as she says "eating is my superpower."

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

"We are unleashing our full potential as an energy superpower," the prime minister said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

Whatever sense of invulnerability America may have had as the world’s only superpower was shattered, and it precipitated massive changes in the way we lived, traveled and perceived ourselves.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026

If that’s not a superpower, I don’t know what is!

From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio

Canada and the EU feel increasingly squeezed by the superpowers USA on the one side and China on the other – and by tech giants, too, that seem to operate supranationally.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Agreement on the future of the technology between tech superpowers Washington and Beijing would be essential to protecting humanity, she said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026

Even with its new superpowers, this Siri isn’t the type of cutting-edge AI that’s stoking the concerns, but you can still opt out in Settings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

An international cast fueled a show that featured people gifted with superpowers around the world that had a mysteriously ominous connection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

While he’s talking, I think how cool it’d be if I did have superpowers.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle