as in power
the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task
the president pledged to put the full puissance of the nation into the war effort
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Recent Examples of puissance
The reboot arrives at the peak of reggaeton’s pop puissance, and rightfully incorporates a lot more of the genre and its offshoots — Latin trap included.
—
Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—Henry Alford, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 29 Aug. 2017
Washington Post, 26 Nov. 2021
Which of you has the puissance to short-term deep-six me?
—Henry Alford, The New Yorker, 5 Apr. 2021
The doctrine’s puissance lies in the separation of powers.
—Matt Ford, The New Republic, 14 Jan. 2020
Over the years, when French leaders have called for a Europe puissance (European power), this has often sounded suspiciously like code for French hegemonic ambitions.
—The Economist, 7 Nov. 2019
There was a time when Jupiter was the king of the gods, and any man who doubted his puissance was ipso facto a barbarian and an ignoramus.
—John E. McIntyre, baltimoresun.com, 29 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puissance
Noun
-
Natural gas has the opportunity to compete with coal, diesel, and other inefficient power sources across the globe, delivering cleaner and cheaper power.—
Steven Dudash,
Forbes.com,
1 Apr. 2025
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Trump has already tested the bounds of the Constitution governing presidential power several times in the first months of his second term.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Auburn has reached its second national semifinal ever, off the strength of unanimous All-American big Johni Broome and the cadre of good shooters in his orbit.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
5 Apr. 2025
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Dwyer has the speed to take the top off of defenses, but his hand strength has also been impressive.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Similarly, the magnetic fields release their energy by producing these jets.—
David Garofalo,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2025
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Tuesday's vote could be the first measure of Trump's popularity and Democrats' energy after the election five months ago.—
The NPR Network,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puissance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puissance. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
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