candlepower: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Technical / Historical
Quick answer
What does “candlepower” mean?
An obsolete unit of luminous intensity, representing the light emitted by a standard candle.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An obsolete unit of luminous intensity, representing the light emitted by a standard candle.
Informally used to refer to the brightness or luminosity of a light source, often in comparative or metaphorical contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The term is equally obsolete in technical contexts in both regions.
Connotations
Slightly more likely to be used metaphorically in British English (e.g., 'not exactly a thousand candlepower intellect').
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both varieties. More likely found in historical texts, antique engineering, or as a deliberate archaism.
Grammar
How to Use “candlepower” in a Sentence
[Number] candlepowerof [number] candlepowerVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “candlepower” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The old candlepower measurement is fascinating.
American English
- He gave a candlepower estimate of the bulb's output.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Only in historical studies of photometry or optics.
Everyday
Rare; used for humorous or emphatic comparison of brightness.
Technical
Obsolete; modern technical texts use candela.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “candlepower”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “candlepower”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “candlepower”
- Using it as a current technical term.
- Confusing it with 'lumen' (a unit of luminous flux, not intensity).
- Pluralizing as 'candlepowers' (usually used as a compound unit: 'ten candlepower').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is an obsolete unit. The International System of Units (SI) uses the candela.
Candlepower (candela) measures luminous intensity (the power of light *in a specific direction*). Lumens measure total luminous flux (the total amount of visible light *emitted*).
Yes, informally, to vividly describe something's brightness, e.g., 'That new torch has the candlepower of a lighthouse beam.'
By definition, it was the light produced by a standard spermaceti candle burning at a specific rate. One candlepower is approximately 0.981 candela.
An obsolete unit of luminous intensity, representing the light emitted by a standard candle.
Candlepower is usually technical / historical in register.
Candlepower: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkændlˌpaʊə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkændlˌpaʊɚ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Hold a candle to (related conceptually, implying comparison of light/brightness)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a POWERFUL CANDLE's light – that's one 'candlepower'. Modern light bulbs have many thousands of times that power.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTELLIGENCE/IDEAS ARE LIGHT (e.g., 'a dim idea' vs. 'a bright idea'). Candlepower fits into this metaphor for a measurable amount of intellectual 'light'.
Practice
Quiz
What has replaced 'candlepower' as the standard SI unit of luminous intensity?