# power

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpaʊ̯ə̯/ · frequency rank #280

## Definitions
1. The ability to do or undergo something.
2. The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
3. The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
4. The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
5. The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
6. The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
7. The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
8. Strength, energy.
9. Strength, energy.
10. Strength, energy.
11. Strength, energy.
12. Strength, energy.
13. Strength, energy.
14. A large amount or number.
15. Any of the elementary forms or parts of machines: three primary (the lever, inclined plane, and pulley) and three secondary (the wheel-and-axle, wedge, and screw).
16. A tractor.
17. A measure of the effectiveness that a force producing a physical effect has over time. If linear, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the displacement of or in an object) ÷ time. If rotational, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the angle of displacement) ÷ time.
18. A product of equal factors (and generalizations of this notion): xⁿ, read as "x to the power of n" or the like, is called a power and denotes the product x×x×⋯×x, where x appears n times in the product; x is called the base and n the exponent.
19. Cardinality.
20. The probability that a statistical test will reject the null hypothesis when the alternative hypothesis is true.
21. In Christian angelology, an intermediate level of angels, ranked above archangels, but exact position varies by classification scheme.
22. A bonus point awarded for answering correctly before a certain part of the tossup is read.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *pótis
Proto-Italic *potis
Proto-Indo-European *h₁es-
Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésmi
Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt
Proto-Italic *som
Proto-Italic *possom
Latin posseder.
Vulgar Latin potēre
Old French pooir
Anglo-Norman poerbor.
Middle English power
English power
From Middle English power, poer, from Old French poeir, from Vulgar Latin potēre, from Latin posse, whence English potent. Compare French pouvoir. Displaced the native Old English anweald.

## Easily confused with
- **Powys** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/power-vs-powys)
- **proper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/power-vs-proper)
- **Powers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/power-vs-powers)
- **powered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/power-vs-powered)
- **per** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/per-vs-power)
- **Poe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poe-vs-power)
- **POW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pow-vs-power)
- **poor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poor-vs-power)
- **pope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pope-vs-power)
- **poem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poem-vs-power)
- **pole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pole-vs-power)
- **poet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poet-vs-power)
- **peer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/peer-vs-power)
- **pose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pose-vs-power)
- **pour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pour-vs-power)
- **pier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pier-vs-power)
- **poke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poke-vs-power)
- **pore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pore-vs-power)
- **paper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/paper-vs-power)
- **Peter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/peter-vs-power)

## Common misspellings (7)
`opwer`, `poewr`, `powerr`, `powre`, `powwer`, `ppower`, `pwoer`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/power