superpower en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
From super- + power.
Meanings
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(countable) A sovereign state with dominant status on the globe and a very advanced military, especially the United States or formerly the Soviet Union.
The year 1945 marked the end of Europe's global hegemony and confirmed the US and the Soviet Union as global superpowers.
1999, David Held, Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture, page 97:Deals unveiled during US President Donald Trump's recent visit to the region showcased Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates' aspirations to become AI superpowers.
2025 June 7, “Gulf states tussle to become AI superpowers using imported chips and talent”, in FT Weekend (Companies & Markets section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 8:To return to the question posed in the title of this essay, it surely matters little to the victims of U.S. or Swedish fighter jets, bombs, or land mines that the manufacturer of their particular vector of death is globally hailed by some as a great economic/cultural/military superpower or a moral superpower.
2018 May 8, David Jansson, “Deadly exceptionalisms, or, would you rather be crushed by a moral superpower or a military superpower?”, in Political Geography:A notable aspect of Norwegians’ national identity is that they think of themselves as a ‘peace nation’ and a ‘humanitarian superpower’.
2024 August 8, Kristian Bjørkdahl, “The humanitarian persona”, in National Identities:Our superpower competition will be reunified Germany (perhaps together with its European satellites) and expanding Japan (perhaps allied with China, if they can bring that off).
1990 February 5, William Safire, “Staying a Superpower”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
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(countable) An extraordinary physical or mental ability, especially possessed by a superhero or supervillain.
If I could have a superpower id^([sic]) want to be able to teleport. I hate walking and driving gives me headaches.
2021 December 6, Givinuplol, belugasareneat, “What superpower you would like?”, in reddit.com:This is his superpower, I think. The comic geek always has one, and Oliver's is a poker face that would leave even the Holy Trinity guessing what he's thinking.
2014, Christina Lauren, Dirty Rowdy Thing, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 258:Administered in such a way, in that superpowers it assures.
1994, C. J. Lee, Caldwell Lee the Poet to Be: The Forthright Omnipotence Era, Dorrance Publishing Company, →ISBN, page 46:Trump’s superpower at home has long been to command intense loyalty from fellow Republicans.
2025 August 7, Jonathan Lemire, “Things Aren’t Going Donald Trump’s Way”, in The Atlantic:This is an incredible superpower on demand that would have been unimaginable at any previous time in history.
2025 August 7, Sam Altman, Introducing GPT-5:
- (obsolete, uncountable) Electricity generated in a large plant that is tied into a regional network, on a larger scale than was common in the early years of commercial electricity production.
- (countable, uncountable) A tetration.
- (uncountable) Excessive or superior power.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| superpowers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Deriveds
superpowerhood · superpowerdom · superpowerless · nonsuperpower
Relateds
supervillain · superhero · superhuman · superman · superbeing
Synonyms
Translations (109)
uk супердержа́ва (sovereign state) · nl superkracht (fictional extraordinary ability) · ms adikuasa (sovereign state) · ur عالَمی طاقَت (sovereign state) · sk veľmoc (sovereign state) · cs velmoc (sovereign state) · de Supermacht (sovereign state) · yue 超級大國 /超级大国 (sovereign state) · sh supersila (sovereign state) · fi supervoima (fictional extraordinary ability) · ky суперкүч (sovereign state) · et üliriik (sovereign state) · hi परमशक्ति (sovereign state) · sq superfuqi (sovereign state) · vi liệt cường (sovereign state) · ru сверхси́ла (fictional extraordinary ability) · uk суперси́ла (fictional extraordinary ability) · my စူပါပါဝါ (sovereign state) · sk superveľmoc (sovereign state) · nn supermakt (sovereign state) · ja スーパーパワー (fictional extraordinary ability) · be супердзяржа́ва (sovereign state) · hy գերտերություն (sovereign state) · sv världsvälde (sovereign state) · be суперсі́ла (fictional extraordinary ability) · cmn 超級大國 /超级大国 (sovereign state) · es superpoder (fictional extraordinary ability) · ro superputere (sovereign state) · pl supermoc (fictional extraordinary ability) · vi siêu cường quốc (sovereign state) · kk астам держава (sovereign state) · fi supervalta (sovereign state) · sv stormakt (sovereign state) · vi siêu năng lực (fictional extraordinary ability) · lt supergalybė (sovereign state) · ar قُوَى عُظْمَى (sovereign state) · cs supervelmoc (sovereign state) · eu superpotentzia (sovereign state) · mk суперси́ла (fictional extraordinary ability) · ru сверхдержа́ва (sovereign state) · ta வல்லரசு (sovereign state) · az super güc (sovereign state) · bg свръхдържа́ва (sovereign state) · ja スーパーパワー (sovereign state) · ko 초대국 (sovereign state) · id adidaya (fictional extraordinary ability) · kk жоғарғы держава (sovereign state) · es hiperpotencia (sovereign state) · it superpotenza (sovereign state) · pt superpoder (fictional extraordinary ability) · uk наддержа́ва (sovereign state) · lt supervalstybė (sovereign state) · id adikuasa (sovereign state) · th อภิมหาอำนาจ (sovereign state) · sl velesila (sovereign state) · kk аса қуатты мемлекет (sovereign state) · pt superpotência (sovereign state) · hu szuperhatalom (sovereign state) · te అగ్రరాజ్యము (sovereign state) · ja 超大国 (sovereign state) · is stórveldi (sovereign state) · gl superpotencia (sovereign state) · bn পরাশক্তি (sovereign state) · cs superschopnost (fictional extraordinary ability) · et superjõud (sovereign state) · da supermagt (sovereign state) · ko 초강대국 (sovereign state) · rsk суперсила (fictional extraordinary ability) · bg свръхси́ла (sovereign state) · vi siêu cường (sovereign state) · sv supermakt (sovereign state) · pl mocarstwo (sovereign state) · ky сверхдержава (sovereign state) · id adidaya (sovereign state) · az fövqəldövlət (sovereign state) · rsk суперсила (sovereign state) · km អភិមហាអំណាច (sovereign state) · fa-ira اَبَرْقُدْرَت (sovereign state) · el υπερδύναμη (sovereign state) · ka სუპერძალა (fictional extraordinary ability) · it superpotere (fictional extraordinary ability) · da superkraft (fictional extraordinary ability) · tr süper güç (sovereign state) · sh суперсила (sovereign state) · uz super kuch (sovereign state) · fr superpuissance (sovereign state) · be звышдзяржа́ва (sovereign state) · sv superkraft (fictional extraordinary ability) · mk су́перси́ла (sovereign state) · sl supersila (sovereign state) · he מַעֲצָמָה (sovereign state) · cmn 超能力 (fictional extraordinary ability) · es superpotencia (sovereign state) · lo ອະພິມະຫາອຳນາດ (sovereign state) · nb supermakt (sovereign state) · sv världsmakt (sovereign state) · de Superkraft (fictional extraordinary ability) · be супэрдзяржа́ва (sovereign state) · ru суперси́ла (fictional extraordinary ability) · nl supermacht (sovereign state) · ru супердержа́ва (sovereign state) · ka ზესახელმწიფო (sovereign state) · ka ზეძალა (fictional extraordinary ability) · tg абарқудрат (sovereign state) · fr superpouvoir (fictional extraordinary ability) · lv superlielvalsts (sovereign state) · sw uwezo wa ajabu (fictional extraordinary ability) · nl grootmacht (sovereign state) · pl supermocarstwo (sovereign state)