1. Ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing something; capacity for
action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical or moral: potency; might; as, a
man of great power; the power of capillary attraction; money gives power. "One next himself in power,
and next in crime." Milton.
2. Ability, regarded as put forth or exerted; strength, force, or energy in action; as, the power of steam in
moving an engine; the power of truth, or of argument, in producing conviction; the power of enthusiasm.
"The power of fancy." Shak.
3. Capacity of undergoing or suffering; fitness to be acted upon; susceptibility; — called also passive
power; as, great power of endurance.
Power, then, is active and passive; faculty is active power or capacity; capacity is passive power.
Sir W.
Hamilton. 4. The exercise of a faculty; the employment of strength; the exercise of any kind of control; influence; dominion; sway; command; government.
Power is no blessing in itself but when it is employed to protect the innocent.
Swift. 5. The agent exercising an ability to act; an individual invested with authority; an institution, or government,
which exercises control; as, the great powers of Europe; hence, often, a superhuman agent; a spirit; a
divinity. "The powers of darkness." Milton.
And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Matt. xxiv. 29. 6. A military or naval force; an army or navy; a great host. Spenser.
Never such a power . . .
Was levied in the body of a land.
Shak.
7. A large quantity; a great number; as, a power o good things. [Colloq.] Richardson.
8. (Mech.) (a) The rate at which mechanical energy is exerted or mechanical work performed, as by
an engine or other machine, or an animal, working continuously; as, an engine of twenty horse power.
The English unit of power used most commonly is the horse power. See Horse power.
(b) A mechanical agent; that from which useful mechanical energy is derived; as, water power; steam
power; hand power, etc. (c) Applied force; force producing motion or pressure; as, the power applied
at one and of a lever to lift a weight at the other end.
This use in mechanics, of power as a synonym for force, is improper and is becoming obsolete.
(d) A machine acted upon by an animal, and serving as a motor to drive other machinery; as, a dog
power.
Power is used adjectively, denoting, driven, or adapted to be driven, by machinery, and not actuated
directly by the hand or foot; as, a power lathe; a power loom; a power press.
9. (Math.) The product arising from the multiplication of a number into itself; as, a square is the second
power, and a cube is third power, of a number.
10. (Metaph.) Mental or moral ability to act; one of the faculties which are possessed by the mind or
soul; as, the power of thinking, reasoning, judging, willing, fearing, hoping, etc. I. Watts.
The guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness . . . into a received
belief.
Shak.
