Meaning of potent in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Classifying Adjective
    1. Definitions
  3. Qualitative Adjective
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈpoʊtnt/

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  1. Classifying Adjective

    potent

    Definitions

    1. having the power to influence or convince

    Examples

    • « a cogent analysis of the problem »
    • « potent arguments »

    Synonyms

  2. 2. having or wielding force or authority

    Examples

    • « providing the ground soldier with increasingly potent weapons »

    Synonyms

  3. Qualitative Adjective

    potent

    Etymology

    late Middle English: from Latin potent-‘being powerful, being able’, from the verb posse

    Definitions

    1. having a strong physiological or chemical effect

    Examples

    • « a potent toxin »
    • « potent liquor »
    • « a potent cup of tea »

    Synonyms

    Antonyms

  4. 2. (of a male) able to copulate

    Antonyms

Famous quotes

  • « Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. »
    Nathaniel Hawthorne
  • « There are times when even the most potent governor must wink at transgression, in order to preserve the laws inviolate for the future. »
    Herman Melville
  • « Our government is the potent, the omnipresent teacher. For good or ill it teaches the whole people by its example. »
    Timothy McVeigh
  • « 'Yes' is a far more potent word than 'no' in American politics. By adopting the positions which animate the political agenda for the other side, one can disarm them and leave them sputtering with nothing to say. »
    Dick Morris
  • « Fear and greed are potent motivators. When both of these forces push in the same direction, virtually no human being can resist. »
    Andrew Weil

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