power
C1Neutral to formal; extremely common across all registers.
Definition
Meaning
The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way, especially to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events.
1. Political or social authority or control. 2. Physical strength or force exerted by something. 3. (Physics) The rate of doing work or transferring energy, measured in watts. 4. (Mathematics) The product obtained when a number is multiplied by itself a certain number of times (e.g., 2 to the power of 3 is 8). 5. A state or nation with significant international influence. 6. (Mechanics) The energy or motive force for machinery.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A highly polysemous word. The core concept revolves around control, ability, and energy. Its meaning shifts significantly between abstract social/political contexts ('power over people'), physical contexts ('engine power'), mathematical contexts, and electrical contexts. It often collocates with prepositions like 'over', 'of', 'to'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Spelling and pronunciation are the primary differences. In electrical contexts, both use 'power' equally, though 'current' or 'electricity' might be more casual US alternatives.
Connotations
Largely identical, strongly associated with politics, energy, and control in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both dialects.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
have the power to + INFthe power of + NOUNbe in powerpower over + NOUNcome/rise to powerVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “power behind the throne”
- “more power to your elbow”
- “the powers that be”
- “trip the power fantastic (rare/archaic)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to market share, executive authority, or energy supply. ('The CEO wielded enormous power. A power outage halted production.')
Academic
Used in social sciences (political power), physics (power output), mathematics (exponential power).
Everyday
Commonly refers to electricity ('The power is out'), ability ('It's not in my power'), or strength ('He has great power').
Technical
In engineering/physics: measured in watts (W). In computing: processing power. In optics: magnifying power.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The new turbine will power the entire estate.
- The device is powered by a small battery.
American English
- The car is powered by a hybrid engine.
- Solar panels power the remote cabin.
adverb
British English
- (Rare as a standalone adverb; usually in compounds like 'powerfully' or in phrases like 'power nap')
American English
- (Rare as a standalone adverb; see British note)
adjective
British English
- They attended a high-level power meeting.
- He's a keen power tools enthusiast.
American English
- She's on the power steering committee.
- We need a power drill for this job.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The wind gives power to the mill.
- My phone has no power.
- The king had a lot of power.
- The new government came to power last year.
- There was a power cut during the storm.
- She has the power to make changes.
- The balance of power between the two companies shifted dramatically.
- He exercised his power over the committee with subtlety.
- The engine delivers immense power at high revolutions.
- The treatise analysed the Foucauldian concept of discursive power.
- The reactor achieves critical mass, generating terawatts of power.
- She was the unseen power behind the throne for decades.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Picture a POWER PLANT generating electricity – it has the POWER to light up a city, just as a person in authority has the POWER to make decisions.
Conceptual Metaphor
POWER IS UP / POWER IS A SUBSTANCE / POWER IS A POSSESSION ('He rose to power', 'She exudes power', 'They seized power').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing 'power' (способность, власть, энергия) with 'strength' (физическая сила). 'State power' is 'государственная власть', not 'сила'. 'Electric power' is 'электроэнергия'. The mathematical term 'power' is 'степень'. The phrase 'the powers that be' translates as 'власть имущие'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: *'power for doing something' instead of 'power to do something'. Confusing 'power' with 'energy' in casual speech (e.g., 'I have no energy' vs. 'I have no power' – the latter could imply electrical failure). Overusing 'power' as a verb where 'empower' or 'enable' is more precise.
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence '2 to the power of 5 is 32', the word 'power' is used in which sense?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily uncountable (e.g., 'She has great power'). It becomes countable when referring to a specific nation ('a world power'), a mathematical operation ('2 to the third power'), or a specific faculty ('my creative powers').
In physics, 'power' is the *rate* of energy transfer (Watts). In everyday language, 'energy' is the capacity for activity ('I have no energy'), while 'power' is the capacity to control or the supply of electricity ('The power is out').
It means to supply with energy or motive force. It's transitive: 'Solar panels power the house.' It is not used for giving authority; for that, use 'empower'.
It's an idiom ('the powers that be') referring to the people in control, especially those you cannot identify by name, like authorities in an organization or government.
Collections
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