Definition Definition

power - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'power' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Power [ n.]
- Same as Poor, the fish.
- Ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing something; capacity for action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical or moral: potency; might; as, a man of great power; the power of capillary attraction; money gives power.
- Ability, regarded as put forth or exerted; strength, force, or energy in action; as, the power of steam in moving an engine; the power of truth, or of argument, in producing conviction; the power of enthusiasm.
- Capacity of undergoing or suffering; fitness to be acted upon; susceptibility; -- called also passive power; as, great power of endurance.
- The exercise of a faculty; the employment of strength; the exercise of any kind of control; influence; dominion; sway; command; government.
- The agent exercising an ability to act; an individual invested with authority; an institution, or government, which exercises control; as, the great powers of Europe; hence, often, a superhuman agent; a spirit; a divinity.
- A military or naval force; an army or navy; a great host.
- A large quantity; a great number; as, a power o/ good things.
- The rate at which mechanical energy is exerted or mechanical work performed, as by an engine or other machine, or an animal, working continuously; as, an engine of twenty horse power.
- A mechanical agent; that from which useful mechanical energy is derived; as, water power; steam power; hand power, etc.
- Applied force; force producing motion or pressure; as, the power applied at one and of a lever to lift a weight at the other end.
- A machine acted upon by an animal, and serving as a motor to drive other machinery; as, a dog power.
- The product arising from the multiplication of a number into itself; as, a square is the second power, and a cube is third power, of a number.
- Mental or moral ability to act; one of the faculties which are possessed by the mind or soul; as, the power of thinking, reasoning, judging, willing, fearing, hoping, etc.
- The degree to which a lens, mirror, or any optical instrument, magnifies; in the telescope, and usually in the microscope, the number of times it multiplies, or augments, the apparent diameter of an object; sometimes, in microscopes, the number of times it multiplies the apparent surface.
- An authority enabling a person to dispose of an interest vested either in himself or in another person; ownership by appointment.
- Hence, vested authority to act in a given case; as, the business was referred to a committee with power.

Meaning of 'power' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . power [ n]
Meaning (1):
- a very wealthy or powerful businessman
Example in sentence:
  • an oil baron
Meaning (2):
- (of a government or government official) holding an office means being in power
Example in sentence:
  • being in office already gives a candidate a great advantage;
  • during his first year in office;
  • during his first year in power;
  • the power of the president
Meaning (3):
- possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done
Example in sentence:
  • danger heightened his powers of discrimination
Meaning (4):
- possession of controlling influence
Example in sentence:
  • his powerfulness was concealed by a gentle facade;
  • the deterrent power of nuclear weapons;
  • the power of his love saved her
Meaning (5):
- one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority
Example in sentence:
  • may the force be with you;
  • the forces of evil;
  • the mysterious presence of an evil power
Meaning (6):
- energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor
Example in sentence:
  • The power went oout around midnight;
  • they built a car that runs on electricity
7 . power [ v]
Meaning (7):
- supply the force or power for the functioning of
Example in sentence:
  • The gasoline powers the engines