Meaning & use
powers
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“powers” is a form of “power”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
The abilities or rights that a person or group has to control people or events.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun; often followed by 'of' or 'over'.
Patterns
- powers of something
- powers over someone
The new law gives the police special powers to stop and search.
She has the powers of a manager, but not the title.
The president used his powers to veto the bill.
nounpluralmathematics
In mathematics, the result of multiplying a number by itself a certain number of times.
Grammar: Usually used in the phrase 'powers of' or 'to the power of'.
Patterns
- powers of a number
- to the power of
The powers of 2 are 2, 4, 8, 16, and so on.
In this equation, x is raised to the power of 3.
She calculated the powers of 10 up to 10^6.
nounplural
A country or organization that has a lot of influence and military strength.
Grammar: Often used in political or news contexts.
Patterns
- world powers
- major powers
The world powers met to discuss the crisis.
Economic powers like China and the US dominate trade.
The great powers of Europe once ruled large empires.
Word forms
| singular | power |
|---|
Common combinations
- special powers
- The agent had special powers to arrest anyone.
- powers of
- The powers of the mind are still not fully understood.
- world powers
- World powers agreed to reduce carbon emissions.
- to the power of
- Two to the power of five equals thirty-two.
Synonyms and how they differ
- abilities
- Focuses on skills or talents, not official rights.
- authorities
- Often refers to official bodies or permissions, not personal influence.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: powers or power?
powers vs power
The singular form refers to one ability or force; 'powers' is plural and often means several abilities or rights.
Practice
The president used his ______ to veto the new law.
Choose one answer.
'Powers' is the correct plural noun meaning rights or abilities. 'Powerful' is an adjective, 'powerless' is an adjective, and 'powering' is a verb form, so none fit the noun slot.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “powers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.