power (powers plural & 3rd person present) (powering present participle) (powered past tense & past participle )
1 n-uncount If someone has power, they have a lot of control over people and activities.
In a democracy, power must be divided., ...a political power struggle between the Liberals and National Party.
2 n-uncount Your powerto do something is your ability to do it.
usu N to-inf, N of n
Human societies have the power to solve the problems confronting them..., He was so drunk that he had lost the power of speech.
3 n-uncount If it is in or within your powerto do something, you are able to do it or you have the resources to deal with it.
poss N
Your debt situation is only temporary, and it is within your power to resolve it...
4 n-uncount If someone in authority has the power to do something, they have the legal right to do it.
also N in pl, oft the N to-inf
The police have the power of arrest...
5 n-uncount If people take power or come to power, they take charge of a country's affairs. If a group of people are in power, they are in charge of a country's affairs.
oft in N
In 1964 Labour came into power..., He first assumed power in 1970..., The party has been in power since independence in 1964.
6 n-count You can use power to refer to a country that is very rich or important, or has strong military forces.
usu supp N
In Western eyes, Iraq is a major power in an area of great strategic importance.
7 n-uncount The power of something is the ability that it has to move or affect things.
usu supp N
The Roadrunner had better power, better tyres, and better brakes., ...massive computing power.
8 n-uncount Power is energy, especially electricity, that is obtained in large quantities from a fuel source and used to operate lights, heating, and machinery.
Nuclear power is cleaner than coal..., Power has been restored to most parts that were hit last night by high winds...
9 verb The device or fuel that powers a machine provides the energy that the machine needs in order to work.
The `flywheel' battery, it is said, could power an electric car for 600 miles on a single charge... V n
-powered comb in adj
...battery-powered radios., ...nuclear-powered submarines.
→
high-powered
10 adj Power tools are operated by electricity.
ADJ n (Antonym: hand)
...large power tools, such as chainsaws., ...a power drill.
11 n-sing In mathematics, power is used in expressions such as 2 to the power of 4 or 2 to the 4th power to indicate that 2 must be multiplied by itself 4 times. This is written in numbers as 2<superscript>4, or 2 x 2 x 2 x 2, which equals 16.
to the N of num, to the ord N
12 You can refer to people in authority as the powers that be, especially when you want to say that you disagree with them or do not understand what they say or do.
the powers that be phrase The powers that be, in this case the independent Television Association, banned the advertisement altogether... power ahead phrasal verb If an economy or company powers ahead, it becomes stronger and more successful. The most widely held view is the market will continue to power ahead... V P It all leaves the way clear for Tesco to power ahead. V P power up phrasal verb When you power up something such as a computer or a machine, you connect it to a power supply and switch it on.
(=switch on) Simply power up your laptop and continue work. V P n, Also V n P
air power , airpower
A nation's air power is the strength of its air force. n-uncount
We will use air power to protect UN peacekeepers if necessary.
balance of power
The balance of power is the way in which power is distributed between rival groups or countries. n-sing
...changes in the balance of power between the United States and Europe.
flower power
Flower power is an old-fashioned way of referring to hippies and the culture associated with hippies in the late 1960s and early 1970s. n-uncount
...the era of flower power.
power base (power bases plural ), power-base The power base of a politician or other leader is the area or the group of people from which they get most support, and which enables him or her to become powerful. n-count oft with poss
Milan was Mr Craxi's home town and his power base.
power broker (power brokers plural )A power broker is someone who has a lot of influence, especially in politics, and uses it to help other people gain power. n-count
Jackson had been a major power-broker in the 1988 Presidential elections.
power cut (power cuts plural )A power cut is a period of time when the electricity supply to a particular building or area is stopped, sometimes deliberately.
(mainly BRIT) n-count
in AM, use outage
power failure (power failures plural )A power failure is a period of time when the electricity supply to a particular building or area is interrupted, for example because of damage to the cables. n-var
(=outage)
power game (power games plural )You can refer to a situation in which different people or groups are competing for power as a power game, especially if you disapprove of the methods they are using in order to try to win power. n-count oft adj N
...the dangerous power games in the Kremlin following Stalin's death.
power line (power lines plural )A power line is a cable, especially above ground, along which electricity is passed to an area or building. n-count
power of attorney
Power of attorney is a legal document which allows you to appoint someone, for example a lawyer, to act on your behalf in specified matters. n-uncount
power plant (power plants plural )A power plant is the same as a power station. n-count
power play (power plays plural ), power-play
1 n-count A power play is an attempt to gain an advantage by showing that you are more powerful than another person or organization, for example in a business relationship or negotiation.
Their politics consisted of unstable power-plays between rival groups.
2 n-uncount In a game of ice hockey, power play is a period of time when one team has more players because one or more of the other team is in the penalty box.
power point (power points plural )A power point is a place in a wall where you can connect electrical equipment to the electricity supply.
(BRIT) n-count
in AM, usually use outlet, wall socket
power-sharing , power sharing
Power-sharing is a political arrangement in which different or opposing groups all take part in government together. n-uncount
power station (power stations plural )A power station is a place where electricity is produced. n-count
(=power plant)
power steering
In a vehicle, power steering is a system for steering which uses power from the engine so that it is easier for the driver to steer the vehicle. n-uncount
purchasing power
1 n-uncount The purchasing power of a currency is the amount of goods or services that you can buy with it. (BUSINESS)
The real purchasing power of the rouble has plummeted.
2 n-uncount The purchasing power of a person or group of people is the amount of goods or services that they can afford to buy. (BUSINESS)
...the purchasing power of their customers.
sea power (sea powers plural )
1 n-uncount Sea power is the size and strength of a country's navy.
The transformation of American sea power began in 1940.
2 n-count A sea power is a country that has a large navy.
staying power , staying-power
If you have staying power, you have the strength or determination to keep going until you reach the end of what you are doing. n-uncount
(=stamina)
Someone who lacks staying power and persistence is unlikely to make a good researcher.
