POWER Synonyms: 154 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'power' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of power are authority , command , control , dominion , jurisdiction , and sway . While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence. // the power to mold public opinion

Q: When can 'authority' be used instead of 'power'?

Although the words authority and power have much in common, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits. // granted the authority to manage her estate

Q: When might 'command' be a better fit than 'power'?

While in some cases nearly identical to power , command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience. // the army officer in command

Q: When would 'control' be a good substitute for 'power'?

The meanings of control and power largely overlap; however, control stresses the power to direct and restrain. // you are responsible for the students under your control

Q: In what contexts can 'dominion' take the place of 'power'?

The words dominion and power are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority. // given dominion over all the animals

Q: When could 'jurisdiction' be used to replace 'power'?

The synonyms jurisdiction and power are sometimes interchangeable, but jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits. // the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

Q: Where would 'sway' be a reasonable alternative to 'power'?

In some situations, the words sway and power are roughly equivalent. However, sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence. // the empire extended its sway over the region

power 1 of 2

noun

ˈpau̇(-ə)r

Definition of power

as in control

the right or means to command or control others the emir has nearly complete power over the emirate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in energy

the ability to exert effort for the accomplishment of a task the corporation has the power to accomplish almost anything you'll need to build a bit more power in order to be a star pitcher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in faculty

a natural ability of the mind or body dogs have a very highly developed power of smell

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in fuel

something with a usable capacity for doing work nuclear power

Synonyms & Similar Words

power

2 of 2

verb

as in to fuel

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun power contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of power are authority, command, control, dominion, jurisdiction, and sway. While all these words mean "the right to govern or rule or determine," power implies possession of ability to wield force, authority, or influence.

the power to mold public opinion

When can authority be used instead of power?

Although the words authority and power have much in common, authority implies power for a specific purpose within specified limits.

granted the authority to manage her estate

When might command be a better fit than power?

While in some cases nearly identical to power, command implies the power to make arbitrary decisions and compel obedience.

the army officer in command

When would control be a good substitute for power?

The meanings of control and power largely overlap; however, control stresses the power to direct and restrain.

you are responsible for the students under your control

In what contexts can dominion take the place of power?

The words dominion and power are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dominion stresses sovereign power or supreme authority.

given dominion over all the animals

When could jurisdiction be used to replace power?

The synonyms jurisdiction and power are sometimes interchangeable, but jurisdiction applies to official power exercised within prescribed limits.

the bureau having jurisdiction over parks

Where would sway be a reasonable alternative to power?

In some situations, the words sway and power are roughly equivalent. However, sway suggests the extent of exercised power or influence.

the empire extended its sway over the region

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of power

Noun

While the rendezvous target was deployed as planned and tracked by radar, Mission Control called the demo off when the pressure glitch occurred because the fuel cells were key to power Gemini 5 for its full 8-day mission. — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Projects would also face limits on air pollution and requirements related to clean backup power, green building standards and worker protections. — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Verb

Few have placed bigger bets than Blackstone on the AI revolution, which demands massive funding for large language models and the data centers and energy infrastructure that power them. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Since Tiffany’s attacks began, Crowley has moved in Hong’s general direction, emphasizing his requirements—using exclusively renewable energy to power new data centers, building them with union labor—for developers to receive the tax breaks. — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for power

Recent Examples of Synonyms for power

Noun

Communities from Lansing, Michigan, to Pflugerville, Texas, are ending their relationship with Flock, largely over concerns regarding out-of-control surveillance, unwanted data sharing, high expenses, and reports of police abusing the tool.

— Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
According to the sheriff's office, Awais used his property-management companies and his relationships with association board members to exert control over the organizations' operations and finances.

— Chelsea Jones, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of control

Noun

Scott and Dylan walked away from faculty members and the video production crew and and Scott allegedly assaulted her in a janitor’s closet.

— Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The school is now putting AI versions of its faculty to work in a $699 online startup bootcamp, where aspiring founders can rehearse investor pitches, sales calls, and board meetings—all with AI clones of Harvard instructors.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of faculty

Noun

JetZero says its unusual configuration could reduce fuel consumption and emissions by as much as 50% compared with conventional aircraft carrying the same number of passengers.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 Aug. 2026
That means Roman’s onboard fuel could instead help extend the observatory’s five-year mission to a full decade.

— Lee Billings, Scientific American, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of fuel

Verb

Adebo could still push Banks, while Phillips has secured the slot job.

— Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
That more than doubled its stock, pushing its market cap above $9 billion, adding to the bottom line of Thrive and Kushner, who is vice chairman and has personal holdings.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of push

Noun

Lutnick was on his way to Paris to meet with the Arnault family who, as part of their dominion over LVMH, run the Cheval Blanc hotel group.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026
When Heilmann arrived in New York in 1968, minimalism, post-minimalism, and Conceptual art were turning the city into one enormous male dominion.

— Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of dominion

Noun

The show is leaning into its strengths, dialing up the madcap comedy and overlapping dialogue while keeping the story lines rooted in recognizable rites of passage for young people.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Divya brings an incredible depth and emotional strength to the ensemble, and the combination of these three actors makes the world of the film particularly special.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of strength

Noun

Though the Roman telescope is often compared to Hubble, which launched in 1990 and has captured some of the most dramatic and memorable views of the cosmos, Roman’s capabilities far outpace its predecessor’s.

— Denise Chow, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
The modernization expanded advanced manufacturing across the company’s Indianapolis campus and added full engine-test capabilities, including new ground-test facilities and an altitude test facility in West Lafayette.

— Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of capability

Browse Nearby Words

powdery

power

powerboat

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Power.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/power. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of power

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on power

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of power

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Phrases Containing power

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on power

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes