Definition.

Power /pow’er or poer/ n the skill, physical ability, opportunity or authority to do something; strength ore energy; force or effectiveness; an individual faculty or skill; capacity for producing an effect; the moving force of anything; control or influence exercised over others; right to command, authority; political control; rule; governing office; permission to act; a paper giving authority to act; potentiality; a person or group wielding authority or strong influence; that in which such authority or influence resides; a state influential in international affairs; (a state having) military strength of a specified kind; a great deal(inf); an armed force (archaic); (often in pl) a spiritual agent; a being of the sixth order of the celestial hierarchy (medieval theology); a great deal or great many (now dialect or inf); a mark of subjection (Bible, 1 Corinthians 11.10; New English Bible ‘a sign of authority’); the sound value of a letter; the rate at which a system absorbs energy from, or passes energy into, another system esp the rate of doing mechanical work, measured in watts or other unit of work done per unit of time (mech, phys etc); any of the forms of energy, or any of these as the driving force of a machine etc; mechanical or electrical energy as distinct from manual effort. * adj concerned with power; (of eg a tool) worked, or assisted in working, by mechanical or electrical power; motor driven; involving a high degree of physical strength and skill (esp sport, as in power tennis) * vt (often with up) to equip with mechanical or electrical power. * vi and vt (inf) to move or propel with great force, energy or speed.