firepower

noun

fire·​pow·​er ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

1

a

: the capacity (as of a military unit) to deliver effective fire on a target

b

: effective fire

2

a

: effective power or force

intellectual firepower

b

: the scoring ability of a team or player

Synonyms

• energy
• force
• horsepower
• might
• muscle
• potence
• potency
• power
• puissance
• sinew
• strength
• vigor

Examples of firepower in a Sentence

The army didn't have the firepower to defeat the invaders.

right now the President doesn't have the political firepower to push his programs through Congress

Recent Examples on the Web

The Indiana Fever needed to make some upgrades to the roster in order to vie for a WNBA championship and give Caitlin Clark extra firepower on both sides of the ball. —Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 11 Feb. 2025

Much of Maryland’s firepower was rooted in Reese, who reached double figures in the opening frame for the 10th time this season. —Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2025

The veteran could help give this Celtics team a nice boost off the bench, adding more firepower to the mix. —Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025

Dawson Garcia tried to put the Gophers on his back, finishing with 28 points, but Minnesota doesn’t have enough offensive firepower outside of their all-conference senior forward. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

firepower

noun

fire·​pow·​er -ˌpau̇(-ə)r 

: the ability to deliver gunfire or warheads on a target