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

OpenAI has become an AI superpower valued at $852 billion and is preparing for a high-profile IPO on the back of its ChatGPT chatbot, which took the world by storm in 2022.

From Barron's • Apr. 28, 2026

If Greek yogurt has a secret superpower, it’s this: it can step into almost any baking recipe that calls for sour cream, milk or even oil and do the job just as well.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

The expansion “is a shovel-ready, critical natural-gas infrastructure project that supports the advancement of Canada’s energy superpower ambitions,” said Greg Ebel, Enbridge’s chief executive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

"We are an AI superpower any which way you look at it."

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

“That made it sound like we were getting a superpower, which would’ve been cool. But rocks are sharp, and do you have any idea how many different kinds of plants have thorns on them?”

From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth