power
[noun]
Synonyms:
- ability, capability, capacity, competence, competency, faculty, potential
- control, ascendancy, authority, command, dominance, domination, dominion, influence, mastery, rule
- authority, authorization, licence, prerogative, privilege, right, warrant
- strength, brawn, energy, force, forcefulness, intensity, might, muscle, potency, vigour

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Antonyms: impuissance, powerlessness
Contrasted words: forcelessness, impotence, weakness, inability, incapability, incapacity, inaptness, ineptitude, ineffectiveness, incompetence
Related Words: birthright, prerogative, privilege, right, direction, management, ascendancy, dominance, dominion, masterdom, sovereignty, supremacy, superiority, influence, prestige, weight, force, strength, ability, capability, capacity, aptitude, bent, turn, endowment, gift, talent, effectiveness, dynamism, powder, voltage, dynamis, potentiality, competence, qualification

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English Thesaurus: country, nation, state, power, superpower, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. pow‧er¹ S1 W1 /ˈpaʊə $ paʊr/ noun
[Word Family: noun: power, superpower, powerlessness, empowerment; adjective: powerful ≠ powerless, overpowering, power, powered; verb: power, empower, overpower; adverb: powerfully ≠ powerlessly, overpoweringly]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: poeir, from poeir 'to be able', from Latin potere; ⇒ potent]

1. CONTROL [uncountable] the ability or right to control people or events ⇒ powerful, powerless
power over
People should have more power over the decisions that affect their lives.
power-mad/power-crazy/power-hungry (=wanting too much power)
power-hungry politicians

2. GOVERNMENT [uncountable] the position of having political control of a country or government
in power
The voters have once again shown their support for the party in power.
come/rise to power (=start having political control)
De Gaulle came to power in 1958.
They seized power in a military coup.

3. INFLUENCE [uncountable] the ability to influence people or give them strong feelings ⇒ powerful, powerless
power of
the power of his writing
the immense power of television
the pulling power (=ability to attract people or attention) of major celebrities
student/black/consumer etc power (=the political or social influence a particular group has)

4. RIGHT/AUTHORITY [uncountable and countable] the right or authority to do something:
The police have been given special powers to help them in the fight against terrorism.
power to do something
The committee has the power to order an enquiry.
power of arrest/veto etc
The chairman has the power of veto on all decisions.

5. ABILITY [uncountable and countable] a natural or special ability to do something:
After the accident she lost the power of speech (=ability to speak).
powers of observation/concentration/persuasion
a writer’s powers of observation
your mental powers
a stone with magical powers

6. ENERGY [uncountable] energy that can be used to make a machine work or to make electricity
nuclear/wind/solar etc power
Many people are opposed to the use of nuclear power.
the search for renewable sources of power
under power
The ship was able to leave port under its own power (=without help from another machine, ship etc).

7. earning/purchasing/bargaining etc power the ability to earn money, buy things etc:
Property in the city is beyond the purchasing power of most people.
your bargaining power in pay negotiations

8. STRENGTH [uncountable] the physical strength or effect of something ⇒ powerful:
the power of a cheetah’s long legs
The power of the explosion smashed windows across the street.

9. ELECTRICITY [uncountable] electricity that is used in houses, factories etc:
Make sure the power is switched off first.
power cut/failure/outage (=a short time when the electricity supply is not working)
Parts of the country have had power cuts because of the storms.
The power came back on.

10. air/sea power the number of planes or ships that a country has available to use in a war

11. STRONG COUNTRY [countable] a country that is strong and important and can influence events, or that has a lot of military strength ⇒ powerful, powerless:
Egypt is still a major power in the Middle East.
world power (=a country that can influence events in different parts of the world)

12. be in/within sb’s power (to do something) if it is in someone’s power to do something, they have the authority or ability to do it:
I wish it was within my power to change the decision.
do everything/all in your power
The ambassador promised to do everything in his power to get the hostages released.

13. be beyond sb’s power (to do something) if it is beyond someone’s power to do something, they do not have the authority or ability to do it:
It’s beyond the power of the court to make such a decision.

14. be in sb’s power literary to be in a situation in which someone has complete control over you

15. do somebody a power of good British English informal to make someone feel more healthy, happy, and hopeful about the future:
It looks as if your holiday has done you a power of good.

16. MATHEMATICS [countable] if a number is increased to the power of three, four, five etc, it is multiplied by itself three, four, five etc times

17. the powers that be the unknown people who have important positions of authority and power, and whose decisions affect your life:
The powers that be don’t want the media to get hold of the story.

18. LENS [uncountable] technical the ability of a lens, for example in a pair of glasses or a microscope, to make things look bigger

19. the powers of good/evil/darkness unknown or magical forces that people believe can influence events in a good or evil way

20. a power in the land old-fashioned someone who has a lot of power and influence in a country

21. the power behind the throne someone who secretly controls and influences decisions made by the leader or government of a country, but who does not have an official government position

22. power trip informal if you are on a power trip, you are enjoying your power or authority in a way that other people think is unpleasant
⇒ staying power, balance of power, high-powered

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. power² verb
[Word Family: noun: power, superpower, powerlessness, empowerment; adjective: powerful ≠ powerless, overpowering, power, powered; verb: power, empower, overpower; adverb: powerfully ≠ powerlessly, overpoweringly]

1. [transitive usually passive] to supply power to a vehicle or machine:
It’s powered by a Ferrari V12 engine.

2. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move with a lot of force and speed:
His strong body powered through the water.
⇒ high-powered
power something ↔ up phrasal verb
to make a machine start working:
Never move a computer while it is powered up.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. power³ adjective [only before noun]
[Word Family: noun: power, superpower, powerlessness, empowerment; adjective: powerful ≠ powerless, overpowering, power, powered; verb: power, empower, overpower; adverb: powerfully ≠ powerlessly, overpoweringly]

1. driven by an electric motor:
power tools
power shower

2. power breakfast/lunch etc informal a meal at which people meet to discuss business

3. power suit informal clothes which you wear at work to make you look important or confident

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

power
noun
I. authority/control
ADJ. absolute, ultimate | considerable, enormous | limited | arbitrary | economic, legal, legislative, political | popular | secular
VERB + POWER come to, rise to When did this government come to power?
assume, seize, take The Crown prince assumed power in his father's place.
restore sb to, return sb to | have, hold The court has no power to order a psychiatric examination of the child's parents. They held power for 18 years.
share | exercise, use, wield | confer, give sb, grant sb The new law delegates many of these powers to school governors.
fall from, lose They fell from power in 1992.
give up, relinquish, renounce | delegate, devolve
POWER + VERB be concentrated in (the hands of sb/sth), rest with sb/sth The real legislative power still rests with the lower chamber.
POWER + NOUN struggle getting the upper hand in a power struggle
base The party's power base is in the industrial north of the country.
PREP. in (your) ~ the party in power They held us in their power.
~ of the power of veto
~ over The government has limited legal powers over television.
PHRASES abuse of power, the balance of power The war brought about a shift in the balance of power.
a bid for power, the exercise of power, a position of power the father's position of power and influence in the home
the power behind the throne (= the person who is really in control) People say that the prime minister's wife is the power behind the throne.
power-hungry The company was too small to hold two such power-hungry men.
a transfer of power the transfer of power from a military to a civilian government

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

power
II. ability to do sth
ADJ. air, military, naval, sea an increase in Britain's air power
fire weapons with enormous fire power
bargaining | computing | healing the healing power of sleep
earning, purchasing | staying Having served in four governments, he has the greatest staying power of any politician today.
magic, magical, mystical, psychic, supernatural They believe he has supernatural powers.
VERB + POWER have | use | develop | lose Religion is rapidly losing its power to shape our behaviour.
PREP. beyond sb/sth's ~ a task still beyond any computer's power
in/within your I'm afraid it's not within my power to help you.
through the ~ of He wants to change the world through the power of prayer.
~s as a tribute to his powers as a teacher
~ of her powers of observation I lost my power of speech for a while after the accident.
PHRASES at the height/peak/zenith of your powers In 1946 Dali was at the peak of his powers.
do all/everything in your power He did everything in his power to find us somewhere to live.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

power
III. country with influence
ADJ. great, major | world | foreign | allied, enemy | occupying | victorious | European, Western, etc. major European powers such as France and Germany
colonial, industrial, naval

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

power
IV. force
ADJ. great | destructive, terrible the destructive power of a hurricane

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

power
V. energy
ADJ. full The plane was still climbing at full power.
reduced The transmitter is operating on reduced power.
electric, electrical, hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, steam, tidal, water, wind
VERB + POWER generate, produce They use these streams to generate power for the mill.
provide (sb/sth with), supply (sb/sth with) This wheel provides the power to the cutting machine.
use | harness | turn on | cut off, turn off
POWER + VERB drive sth Wind power is used to drive the machinery.
POWER + NOUN cable, line, point, supply | tool DIY grew in popularity with the advent of power tools.
plant, station | worker | cut, failure
PREP. ~ for supplying power for the grinding process
PHRASES a source of power

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

power

have power
People who have power never seem to use it to help others.
get/gain power
Women were trying to gain power in a male-dominated world.
use your power (also exercise (your) power formal)
The party will use all its power and influence to raise the issue in the Senate.
Questions have been asked about the way the police exercised their power.
wield power formal (=use power - used when someone has a lot of power)
The Church still wields enormous power in the country.
great/huge/enormous
The central banks have huge power.
limited
The king's power was limited.
political/economic/military power
countries with little economic power
absolute power (=total power, with no limits)
Parents had absolute power over children in those days.
unbridled power (=without any controls)
Certain wealthy men exercised unbridled power.
real power
The real power lay with the President’s advisers.
a power struggle (=a situation in which groups or leaders try to get control)
The country is locked in a power struggle between forces favouring and opposing change.
the balance of power
There has been a shift in the balance of power between the two countries.
a position of power (=a job or role that gives someone power)
Many of them were using their positions of power for personal advantage.
an abuse of power (=a wrong or unfair use of power)
This cover-up is a scandalous abuse of power.
be in power
The law was passed when the Democrats were in power.
come to power (=start being in control)
Tony Blair came to power in 1997.
take power (=start being in control, usually without an election)
Many people fled after the military took power last September.
seize power (=take power by force)
His son seized power in a military coup.
assume power formal (=take power)
He assumed power after the assassination of the former president.
win power (=win an election)
The Prime Minister is facing his toughest challenge since winning power.
rise to power
The Roman emperor Vespasian rose to power through command of an army.
return/be returned to power (=start being in control again, usually after an election)
The party was returned to power with a reduced majority.
hold power (=be in power)
Economic disaster befell the country during the decade when he held power.
restore somebody to power (=put someone in control of a country again)
In 2004, the army restored him to power.
sweep to power (=win an election easily)
Reagan swept to power by promising reforms.
cling to power (=not lose it, or try not to lose it)
Mao Tse-tung, the leader of the 1949 Communist revolution, clung to power for 27 years.
sb’s rise to power
The programme examines Saddam Hussein’s rise to power.
sb’s return to power
Churchill’s return to power had an immediate effect upon Anglo-American relations.
mental powers
Is it possible to enhance your mental powers?
creative powers
A music teacher should have a real interest in developing children’s creative powers.
healing powers
The water was supposed to have healing powers.
magical/special/miraculous powers
Diamonds were once thought to have magical powers.
the power of speech
I was so surprised that I momentarily lost the power of speech.
the power of flight
Some birds have lost the power of flight over millions of years.
powers of observation
Experience improves our powers of observation, since it teaches us what to look for.
powers of concentration
As you get older, your powers of concentration may decrease.
powers of persuasion
She used all her powers of persuasion to convince Tilly that the move was a good idea.
be at the height of your powers (=be at a time in your life when your abilities are strongest)
Fonteyn was still at the height of her powers as a dancer.
lose a power
He was a brilliant speaker, who never lost the power to influence people.
sb’s powers are failing/waning (=becoming less good)
Mark felt that his creative powers were waning.
nuclear power
The accident raised doubts about the safety of nuclear power.
solar power (=energy produced by sunlight)
They use solar power for all their heating.
wind power (=energy produced by the wind)
Is wind power the answer to the energy crisis?
wave power (=energy produced by waves in the sea)
Wave power can be used to generate electricity.
hydroelectric power (=energy produced by flowing water)
The factory is run on hydroelectric power.
steam power (=energy produced from steam)
Early engines were driven by steam power.
a source of power
One problem is their reliance on coal as the main source of power.
a great power
Britain wanted to maintain her status as a great power.
a major power (=very important one)
There will be representatives from all the world's major powers at the conference.
a world power (=one with influence all over the world)
The United States had replaced Great Britain as the dominant world power.
a military/naval power (=with a very strong army or navy)
Russia had become a naval power equal to Spain.
a foreign power
He was charged with spying for a foreign power.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

power
noun
BAD: The illness has left her with no power.
GOOD: The illness has left her with no energy.

Usage Note:
A person's power refers to their social, economic or political influence: 'The royal family has very little power these days.' 'The major investors have the power to make or break a company.'
When talking about someone's physical condition, use energy or strength (NOT power ): 'I don't have the time or energy to go out in the evenings.' 'Her doctor has told her to take things easy until she gets her strength back.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

country an area of land controlled by its own government, president, king etc:
Thailand is a beautiful country.
Which country would you most like to visit?
nation a country, considered especially in relation to its people and its political and economic structure:
The events shocked the whole nation.
The US is the most powerful nation in the world.
Leaders of the world’s major industrialized nations attended the meeting.
state a country considered as a political organization with its own government:
They believe that Scotland should be an independent sovereign state.
Most European states joined the Council of Europe.
power a country that is very strong and important:
a meeting of the great powers
Britain is still a world power.
superpower one of the most powerful countries in the world:
During the Cuban Missile Crisis there was a real danger of conflict between the two world superpowers.
land literary a country – used in stories:
He told them about his journeys to foreign lands.
a traveller from a far-off land

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲