powerful

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English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English pouerful, powarfull, equivalent to power +‎ -ful.

Pronunciation

Adjective

powerful (comparative more powerful or powerfuller or powerfuler, superlative most powerful or powerfullest or powerfulest)

  1. Having, or capable of exerting, power or influence.
    • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
      The powerful grace that lies / In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.
    • 1646, Thomas Browne, “Compendiously of Sundry Tenents Concerning Minerall and Terreous Bodies, which Examined, Prove either False or Dubious”, in Pseudodoxia Epidemica: , London: T H for Edward Dod, , →OCLC, 2nd book, paragraph 3, page 85:
      he ſubſtance of gold is indeed invincible by the povverfulleſt action of natural heat, […]
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.
    • 2004, George Carlin, “NOTHING CHANGES”, in When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?‎, New York: Hyperion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 106:
      Dear Political Activists
      All your chanting, marching, voting, picketing, boycotting and letter-writing will not change a thing; you will never right the wrongs of this world. The only thing your activity will accomplish is to make some of you feel better. Such activity makes powerless people feel useful, and provides them the illusion that they're making a difference. But it doesn't work. Nothing changes. The powerful keep the power. That's why they're called the powerful.
  2. Leading to many or important deductions.
    a powerful set of postulates
    a powerful theorem
  3. (mining) Large; capacious; said of veins of ore.
  4. (mathematics, not comparable) Being a powerful number.
    Synonym: squareful

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See also

Adverb

powerful (comparative more powerful, superlative most powerful)

  1. (dialect, Southern US or archaic) very; extremely
    • 1972, John O'Grady, It's Your Shout, Mate, Ure Smith, page 59:
      "She was stinkin' hot down here that summer, an' we were powerful dry."

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