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Synonyms

world power

American  

noun

  1. a nation, organization, or institution so powerful that it is capable of influencing or changing the course of world events.

world power British  

noun

  1. a state that possesses sufficient power to influence events throughout the world

"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

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.

Often called the first modern president, TR expanded the office’s power and influence, wielding his clout to conserve public land, regulate corporations and bolster America’s status as a world power.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

But there’s a big exception in which more old-fashioned prejudices about bodily strength and real world power kick in: When the person in question rules through intimidation.

From Salon • Nov. 19, 2025

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

Similarly, America's emergence as the dominant world power in the 1940s could never have occurred if the United States had not established stable national institutions at the start that permitted the consolidation of the continent.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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.