superpower

American  

[soo-per-pou-er] / ˈsu pərˌpaʊ ər /

noun

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

• superpowered adjective

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

“My superpower is I wear my emotions on my sleeve,” Blevins explains.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

“The point is Nike’s superpower is based in part on being able to maintain an image of being the best sports brand despite selling a lot of commodity products,” Sole wrote.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

China's emergence this century as an economic and military superpower has also seen its space capabilities accelerate rapidly, and it now has a stated aim of landing an astronaut on the Moon by around 2030.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Investment banking went on to underwrite construction of the railroad, the telephone, and an industrial revolution that turned America into an economic and military superpower.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

She sounds so proud of her imaginary superpower.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman