noun
Meaning 1
Power, authority.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
potency
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈpəʊtənsi/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: P OW1 T AH0 N S IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
The ability or capacity to perform something
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
The ability or capacity to perform something
Sexual virility: the ability to become erect or achieve orgasm.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable, usually
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: impotence
noun
Meaning 4
Concentration; strength
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Potentiality, ability, capacity.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
Cardinality.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, dated, uncountable
Topics: mathematics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the toxin's potency
- the strength of the drinks
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: effectiveness, strength
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: power, powerfulness
noun
Meaning 8
the power or right to give orders or make decisions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he has the authority to issue warrants
- deputies are given authorization to make arrests
- a place of potency in the state
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: authority, authorization, authorisation, dominance, say-so
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: control
Narrower terms: power of appointment, carte blanche, command, imperium, lordship, muscle, sovereignty
noun
Meaning 9
the state of being potent; a male's capacity to have sexual intercourse
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: potence
Antonyms: impotency
Broader terms: physical condition, physiological state, physiological condition
noun
Meaning 10
the inherent capacity for coming into being
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: potential, potentiality
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: possibility, possibleness
Narrower terms: latency, prospect, chance
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin potentia. Doublet of Potenza.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Albanian: dhajë — strength
- Basque: potentzia — strength
- Bulgarian: сила (sila) — strength
- Finnish: voima — strength
- Galician: potencia — strength
- Hebrew: כוח (kóakh) — strength
- Hungarian: erő — strength
- Ingrian: voima — strength
- Ingrian: ramo — strength
- Irish: láidreacht — strength
- Italian: forza — strength
- Kazakh: пәрмен (pärmen) — strength
- Malayalam: വീര്യം (vīryaṁ) — strength
- Polish: potencja — strength
- Romanian: potență — strength
- Yakut: күүс (küüs) — strength
- Yiddish: כּוח (koyekh) — strength
- Breton: galloud — power
- Breton: galloudegez — power
- Bulgarian: мощ (mošt) — power
- Bulgarian: могъщество (mogǎštestvo) — power
- Finnish: valta — power
- French: pouvoir — power
- French: puissance — power
- Galician: potencia — power
- Ancient Greek: δύναμις (dúnamis) — power
- Hebrew: כוח (kóakh) — power
- Hungarian: erő — power
- Italian: potenza — power
- Kazakh: құдірет (qūdıret) — power
- Latin: potestās — power
- Malayalam: വീര്യം (vīryaṁ) — power
- Polish: potencja — power
- Romanian: potență — power
- Romanian: putere — power
- Ugaritic: 𐎓𐎇 (ʿz) — power
- Yiddish: כּוח (koyekh) — power
- Finnish: kyky — ability or capacity to perform
- Finnish: potenssi — ability or capacity to perform
- Galician: potencia — ability or capacity to perform
- Hebrew: יכולת (yekhólet) — ability or capacity to perform
- Italian: capacità — ability or capacity to perform
- Italian: virilità — ability or capacity to perform
- Malay: potensi — ability or capacity to perform
- Polish: potencja — ability or capacity to perform
- Romanian: putință — ability or capacity to perform
- Spanish: potencia — ability or capacity to perform
- Spanish: polenta — ability or capacity to perform