powerful

adjective

pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl 

1

: having great power, prestige, or influence

a powerful leader

2

: leading to many or important deductions

a powerful set of postulates

Synonyms of powerful

• influential
• significant
• strong
• important

Examples of powerful in a Sentence

The country is becoming more and more powerful.

powerful drugs that attack cancer cells

The cash bonus provides a powerful incentive to workers.

The perfume has a powerful smell.

It's a very powerful movie.

The dog has a powerful body.

She has a powerful voice.

The weapons are very powerful.

The aardvark uses its powerful claws to dig for food.

Recent Examples on the Web

Hastert was aware of the personal pitfalls of holding the powerful position. — Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

Yet, despite these extraordinary advances, the brain still holds countless mysteries, with much more left to learn and discover and optogenetics has given us a powerful means to take on these challenges. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026

Something threatening becomes funny, someone powerful becomes vulnerable, a ridiculous situation begins to feel alarmingly real. — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026

Medical experts say cases require rapid treatment with powerful antibiotics to prevent fatalities. — Janis MacKey Frayer, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing powerful

• all-powerful

Kids Definition

powerful

adjective

pow·​er·​ful ˈpau̇(-ə)r-fəl 

: full of or having power or influence : strong, effective

powerfully

-f(ə-)lē 

adverb