omnipotent

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Having unlimited power; able to do anything.

   Grammar: Used mainly before a noun or after linking verbs like be, seem, or become; it is not usually graded.

   Patterns

   • an omnipotent being
   • seem omnipotent

   In many religions, God is described as omnipotent and all-knowing.

   The king believed he was omnipotent, but his advisers knew his power had limits.

   Technology can make us feel omnipotent, as if we can solve any problem with a click.

2. 2adjectivenot comparablefigurative

   Having great power or influence in a particular situation, often exaggeratedly.

   Grammar: Often used figuratively to describe people or organizations that seem to control everything.

   Patterns

   • omnipotent leader
   • omnipotent corporation

   The company seemed omnipotent in the market, until new competitors appeared.

   He felt omnipotent after winning the election, but the challenges ahead were enormous.

Common combinations

omnipotent god

The ancient Greeks did not view their gods as omnipotent.

seem omnipotent

The dictator seemed omnipotent, but his regime eventually collapsed.

omnipotent power

The wizard was said to possess omnipotent power.

Synonyms and how they differ

all-powerful

Means the same but is more common in everyday English and less formal.

almighty

Often used in religious contexts or as a title for God; it can also mean 'very great' in informal phrases like 'almighty row'.

Opposites

Word family

omnipotence noun

The state of having unlimited power.

omnipotent adjective

The adjective itself.

Commonly confused: omnipotent or omniscient? omnipotent or omnipresent?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “omnipotent”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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