Word of the Day

: April 21, 2015

omnipotent

adjective ahm-NIP-uh-tunt

What It Means

: having virtually unlimited authority or influence

omnipotent in Context

Small children often believe their parents to be omnipotent, capable of commanding any situation or resolving any problem they find before them.

"As test scores become the omnipotent factor in what determines an effective educator, a successful student, or the quality of a school, awe-inspired learning moments begin to pale in comparison to the urgency of bubbling in a correct answer." - Laurie Futterman, Miami Herald, March 11, 2015

Did You Know?

The word omnipotent made its way into English through Anglo-French, but it ultimately derives from the Latin prefix omni-, meaning "all," and the word potens, meaning "potent." The omni- prefix has also given us similar words such as omniscient (meaning "all-knowing") and omnivorous (describing an animal that eats both plants and other animals). Although omnipotent is used in general contexts to mean "all-powerful" (as in "an omnipotent warlord"), its original applications in English referred specifically to the power held by an almighty God. The word has been used as an English adjective since the 14th century; since 1600 it has also been used as a noun referring to one who is omnipotent.