potent · adj — powerful; possessing power; effective. It carries an Arena rating of 1722, earned across 27 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, potent ranks #216 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #1,375 of 17,162 for Most Elegant Words, #3,594 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #8,252 of 17,147 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
potent is pronounced /ˈpəʊt(ə)nt/.
Why “potent” is a great word
Possessing great power, strength, or effectiveness, especially in a chemical, physical, or persuasive sense. From Middle English potent, borrowed from Latin potēns, potentis ("powerful, strong, potent"), present participle of posse ("to be able"), from potis ("able, powerful, originally a lord, master"). Unlike "powerful" (which suggests broad, manifest force) or "strong" (which emphasizes physical durability), "potent" describes a concentrated, inherent, and often latent capacity for overwhelming effect. It is the single drop of belladonna that stills a nerve, the unspoken premise that collapses a debate, the quiet authority in a glance that stops a room—a force not in its exertion, but in its mere potential, the quiet, undeniable presence of something that does not need to flex to be feared.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From Middle English potent, borrowed from Latin potens, potentis (“powerful, strong, potent”), present participle of posse (“to be able”), from potis (“able, powerful, originally a lord, master”).
adj
- Powerful; possessing power; effective.e.g.“harsh and potent injuries” — 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, an
- Powerful; possessing power; effective.; Possessing authority or influence; persuasive, convincing.e.g.“a potent argument”
- Powerful; possessing power; effective.; Possessing strong physical or chemical properties.e.g.“a potent drink; a potent solvent; a potent medicine”
- Able to procreate.
- Able to differentiate.
noun
- A prince; a potentate.e.g.“Cry, havock , kings! back to the stained field, You equal potents” — c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward]
- A staff or crutch.
- A heraldic fur formed by a regular tessellation of blue and white T shapes.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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