power

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Ability to act

Nouns

1. power, potence, potency, potentiality; puissance, might, force, energy, vigor; dint; right hand or arm; ascendancy, sway, control; prepotency; almightiness, omnipotence, authority, strength; irresistibility, invincibility, etc. Informal, steam. Slang, juice. See intrinsic.

2. (power to act) ability, ableness; efficiency, efficacy; validity, cogency; enablement; vantage ground; influence; capability, means, capacity; faculty, endowment, virtue, gift, property, qualification, susceptibility. Slang, the stuff, something on the ball, what it takes. See agency.

3. (power exerted) pressure, gravity, electricity, magnetism, electromagnetism; attraction; force of inertia, dead force, living force; energy, hydroelectric power, waterpower; atomic power, horsepower; friction, suction; torque, thrust.

4. (provider of power) powerhouse; engine, motor, dynamo, generator; battery; [nuclear, fission, or fusion] reactor, tokamak; pump, mill, windmill; power plant; Diesel, gas, gasoline, internal combustion, or steam engine; reciprocating, rotary, Wankel, jet, or rocket engine; turbine.

Verbs

1. be powerful; be able; generate. Slang, pack a wallop or punch. See strength, energy, vigor.

2. see influence.

Adjectives

1. powerful, puissant; potent, potential; capable, able; equal to, up to; cogent, valid; effective, effectual; efficient, efficacious, adequate; strong, omnipotent, all-powerful, almighty; electric, magnetic, dynamic; attractive; mechanical; energetic, forcible, forceful, incisive, trenchant, electrifying; influential.

2. resistless, irresistible; invincible, indomitable, invulnerable, impregnable, unconquerable; overpowering, overwhelming.

Adverbs — powerfully, strongly, irresistibly, etc.

Phrases — might is right; power corrupts; the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

Quotations — Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely (Lord Acton), Power is the great aphrodisiac (Henry Kissinger), A friend in power is a friend lost (Henry Adams), Political power is merely the organized power of one class to oppress another (Karl Marx/Friedrich En-gels), The object of power is power (George Orwell).

Antonyms, see impotence.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Strength]

Syn. vigor, energy, stamina; see strength 1 .

2. [Controlling sway]

Syn. authority, command, jurisdiction, dominion, control, sway, ascendancy, superiority, domination, dominance, mastery, leadership, predominance, preponderance, sovereignty, prerogative, hegemony, suzerainty, prestige, influence, reign, regency, omnipotence, puissance, supreme authority, the last word, rule, law, first strike capability, warrant, rule of law, law of the jungle, brute force, authorization, supremacy, legal sanction, government, absolutism, carte blanche, say-so*, clout*, clutches*; see also influence 2 , leadership 1 .

Ant. powerlessness, subservience, collapse.

3. [Ability; often plural ]

Syn. skill, endowment, capability; see ability 1 , 2 .

4. [Force]

Syn. compulsion, coercion, duress; see pressure 2 , restraint 2 .

5. [Energy]

Syn. horsepower, potential, dynamism; see energy 3 .

• in power,

Syn. ruling, authoritative, commanding; see powerful 1 .

• the powers that be*, n.

Syn. the higher authorities, boss, bosses, the higher-ups*.

Syn.- power , as compared here, denotes the inherent ability or the admitted right to rule, govern, and determine [ the limited power of a president ] ; authority refers to the power, because of rank or office, to give commands, enforce obedience, and make decisions [ the authority of a teacher ] ; jurisdiction refers to the power to rule or decide within certain officially defined limits [ the jurisdiction of the courts ] ; dominion implies sovereign or supreme authority [dominion over a Dependent state ] ; sway stresses the predominance or sweeping scope of power [ the Romans held sway over much of the ancient world ] ; control implies power to direct, regulate, restrain, or curb [ to have no control over one's feelings ] ; command implies such authority that enforces obedience to one's orders [ in command of a regiment ] See also Synonym Study at strength .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. physical force energy, strength, might, brawn, muscle, horsepower, potency, *punch, virility, vigor, *oomph.

2. ability capacity, capability, aptitude, *what it takes, faculty, skill, endowment.

3. controlling force mastery, authority, domination, sway, clout, weight, command, might, influence, *pull, importance, *friends in high places. ''The application of intelligence to force.''—Arthur Corey. ''A drug, the desire for which increases with the habit.''—Bertrand Russell.

ANT.: weakness, impotency, powerlessness, helplessness

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. Capacity or power for work or vigorous activity: animation, energy, force, might, potency, puissance, sprightliness, steam, strength. Informal: get-up-and-go, go, pep, pep-piness, zip. See ACTION. 2. The state or'quality of being physically strong: brawn, might, muscle, potence, potency, powerfulness, puissance, sinew, strength, thew (often used in plural). See STRONG. 3. The right and power to command, decide, rule, or judge: authority, command, control, domination, dominion, jurisdiction, mastery, might, prerogative, sovereignty, sway. Informal: say-so. See OVER. 4. Effective means of influencing, compelling, or punishing: force, weight. Informal: clout, muscle. See OVER, STRONG. 5. The capacity to exert an influence: force, forcefulness, magnetism. See STRONG. 6. Regional. A great deal: abundance, mass, mountain, much, plenty, profusion, wealth, world. Informal: barrel, heap, lot, pack, peck2, pile. Regional: sight. See BIG.