world power
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of world power
First recorded in 1880–85
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.
Xi has drawn one lesson from the Soviet Union’s collapse above all: Moscow’s economy was too narrow—dependent on a handful of industries such as steel, energy and weapons—to sustain a world power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Salami had boasted of Iran's military capabilities, at one point declaring that the country was "on the verge of becoming a world power".
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2025
His Majesty’s Surge has “nicked” a spot on this week’s list to give an update on the Merry Land of Britain, an ancestral world power.
From Slate ● May 25, 2024
“I think Nigeria could become a world power if we start to do things properly and invest more in women’s football … like so many other nations need to be doing as well.”
From Washington Times ● Aug. 6, 2023
In prison, unlike in the outside world, power and authority were at stake in nearly every transaction.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
