Great Power

American

noun

a nation that has exceptional military and economic strength, and consequently plays a major, often decisive, role in international affairs.

Great Power British

noun

a nation that has exceptional political influence, resources, and military strength

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Great-Power adjective
great-power adjective

Etymology

Origin of Great Power

First recorded in 1725–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“The common sense of mankind demands that law shall not stop with the punishment of petty crimes by little people. It must also reach men who possess themselves of great power.”

From Salon

Air Force Academy and author of a book on great power competition in the polar regions.

From The Wall Street Journal

A great power like China or the U.S. “utilizes the dependencies of others and, if need be, takes advantage of them,” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Munich.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Roberts wrote, the Framers viewed taxation as “the one great power upon which the whole national fabric is based.”

From Slate

"We are now in a world of great power play. The base at Diego Garcia is absolutely critical to the security of the West."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023