Dictionary

potency en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈpəʊtənsi/

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin potentia. Doublet of Potenza.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Power, authority.
   • The doctor is the modern master of the mythological realm, the knower of all the secret ways and words of potency. 1968, Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 2nd edition, London: Fontana Press, published 1993, page 9:
   • Beset on either hand by potencies greater than himself, he becomes the battle-ground of immortals. 1924, Herbert Weir Smyth, “VIII. The Orestea: III. Eumenides”, in Aeschylean Tragedy, page 206:
   • I would to heauen I had your potencie, And you were Isabell: should it then be thus? No: I would tell what 'twere to be a Iudge, and what a prisoner. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 67, column 2:
2. (countable, uncountable) The ability or capacity to perform something
3. (countable, of men, uncountable, usually) The ability or capacity to perform something ▸ Sexual virility: the ability to become erect or achieve orgasm.
   • Pliny the Elder states that, to increase sexual potency, the right testis of an ass should be worn in a bracelet. 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 49:
4. (countable, of alcoholic drinks, of drugs, uncountable) Concentration; strength
5. (countable, uncountable) Potentiality, ability, capacity.
6. (countable, dated, uncountable) Cardinality.

Forms

Antonyms

impotence

Deriveds

subpotency · bipotency · immunopotency · orgastic potency · biopotency · idempotency · tripotency · superpotency · multipotency · unipotency · prepotency · equipotency · oligopotency

Relateds

potence · potent · potential · impotent · impotence · potentate · potentiality

Translations (53)

es polenta (ability or capacity to perform) · kk пәрмен (strength) · pl potencja (strength) · pl potencja (power) · fi voima (strength) · he יכולת (ability or capacity to perform) · yi כּוח (strength) · ro putere (power) · ga láidreacht (strength) · fr puissance (power) · fr pouvoir (power) · gl potencia (power) · sq dhajë (strength) · es potencia (ability or capacity to perform) · pl potencja (ability or capacity to perform) · izh ramo (strength) · ar قُوَّة (strength) · it forza (strength) · ms potensi (ability or capacity to perform) · fi kyky (ability or capacity to perform) · ro potență (strength) · ar قُدْرَة (ability or capacity to perform) · it capacità (ability or capacity to perform) · bg мощ (power) · it potenza (power) · bg сила (strength) · it virilità (ability or capacity to perform) · la potestās (power) · he כוח (strength) · ar فُحُولَة (ability or capacity to perform) · ml വീര്യം (power) · kk құдірет (power) · eu potentzia (strength) · ro potență (power) · fi valta (power) · br galloudegez (power) · gl potencia (strength) · ar سُلْطَة (power) · ar فَعَّالِيَّة (strength) · uga 𐎓𐎇 (power) · izh voima (strength) · hu erő (power) · he כוח (power) · br galloud (power) · gl potencia (ability or capacity to perform) · yi כּוח (power) · bg могъщество (power) · ro putință (ability or capacity to perform) · ml വീര്യം (strength) · fi potenssi (ability or capacity to perform) · hu erő (strength) · grc δύναμις (power) · sah күүс (strength)