power
The ability to do or undergo something.
Word facts
Definition of Power
The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
Example sentences
This CD player is powered by batteries.
Using Power well
A closer look at how power is used — meaning in plain English, how close synonyms differ, and examples at different levels.
The ability to do something or to control people, events, or forces.
Use 'power' for physical energy, political or personal control, or the capacity to make things happen. It suits everything from casual talk to formal analysis, and appears in science, politics, and everyday speech.
Common in politics, physics and engineering, business, sports, and everyday conversation about ability or electricity.
'Power' and 'authority' overlap but differ: authority is the legitimate right to act, while power is the actual ability, which someone can have without authority (or vice versa).
- strength
- emphasizes physical or inner force, not control over others
- authority
- narrower — the recognized right to give orders, not raw force
- control
- focuses on directing or restraining, rather than the capacity behind it
- energy
- more physical or scientific — the fuel that does work, especially electricity
- influence
- softer — the ability to shape outcomes indirectly, without formal power
- weakness
- the plain opposite when 'power' means strength or capability
- powerlessness
- emphasizes having no control or ability to act
- impotence
- formal and stronger — a complete inability to influence or act
- Beginner The storm knocked out the power in our house.
- In writing Real power in the company sat not with the CEO but with the small team that controlled the budget.
- Advanced Power, unexercised, is only a rumor; it becomes real the moment someone chooses to act on it.
Think of 'power' as both the electricity in the wall and the pull of a president — both are the ability to make things happen.
Synonyms for Power
Antonyms for Power
Related words
Words closely connected to Power in meaning or use:
Words that rhyme with Power
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FAQ
Questions people ask
What does power mean?
The ability to do or undergo something. It is a noun.
How many syllables does power have?
Power breaks into 2 syllables — pow·ur — when you say it aloud.
What part of speech is power?
Power works as a noun. As a noun, it names a thing, idea, or concept.
What are synonyms for power?
You can often swap power for potency, magnate, office, index, though each carries a slightly different shade of meaning.
How do you use power in a sentence?
Example: "This CD player is powered by batteries."