potent


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potent

strong, mighty, powerful: potent medicine; persuasive, influential: a potent argument
Not to be confused with:
portent – augury, warning, sign: portent of things to come
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

po·tent

 (pōt′nt)
adj.
1. Possessing inner or physical strength; powerful.
2.
a. Exerting or capable of exerting strong physiological or chemical effects: potent liquor; a potent toxin.
b. Exerting or capable of exerting strong influence; cogent: potent arguments.
3. Having great control or authority: "The police were potent only so long as they were feared" (Thomas Burke).
4. Able to achieve and maintain an erection that allows for sexual intercourse. Used of a male.

[Middle English, from Latin potēns, potent-, present participle of posse, to be able; see poti- in Indo-European roots.]

po′tent·ly adv.
po′tent·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

potent

(ˈpəʊtənt)
adj
1. possessing great strength; powerful
2. (of arguments, etc) persuasive or forceful
3. influential or authoritative
4. tending to produce violent physical or chemical effects: a potent poison.
5. (of a male) capable of having sexual intercourse
[C15: from Latin potēns able, from posse to be able]
ˈpotently adv
ˈpotentness n

potent

(ˈpəʊtənt)
adj
(Heraldry) heraldry (of a cross) having flat bars across the ends of the arms
[C17: from obsolete potent a crutch, from Latin potentia power]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

po•tent1

(ˈpoʊt nt)

adj.
1. powerful; mighty.
2. cogent; persuasive.
3. producing powerful physical or chemical effects: a potent drug.
4. having or exercising great power or influence.
5. (of a male) capable of sexual intercourse.
[1490–1500; < Latin potent- (s. of potēns), present participle of posse to be able, have power; see -ent]
po′tent•ly, adv.

po•tent2

(ˈpoʊt nt)
adj.
(of a heraldic cross) having a crosspiece at the extremity of each arm.
[1325–75; Middle English potente crutch, variant of potence < French crutch, support < Medieval Latin potentia, Latin: power, potency]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj.1.potent - having great influence
influential - having or exercising influence or power; "an influential newspaper"; "influential leadership for peace"
2.potent - having or wielding force or authority; "providing the ground soldier with increasingly potent weapons"
powerful - having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument"
3.potent - having a strong physiological or chemical effect; "a potent toxin"; "potent liquor"; "a potent cup of tea", "a stiff drink"
effective, effectual, efficacious - producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect; "an air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long-distance transportation"-LewisMumford; "effective teaching methods"; "effective steps toward peace"; "made an effective entrance"; "his complaint proved to be effectual in bringing action"; "an efficacious law"
fertile - capable of reproducing
powerful - having great power or force or potency or effect; "the most powerful government in western Europe"; "his powerful arms"; "a powerful bomb"; "the horse's powerful kick"; "powerful drugs"; "a powerful argument"
impotent - lacking power or ability; "Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent"- Freeman J.Dyson; "felt impotent rage"
4.potent - (of a male) capable of copulation
impotent - (of a male) unable to copulate
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

potent

adjective
1. powerful, commanding, dynamic, dominant, influential, authoritative a potent political force
3. strong, powerful, mighty, vigorous, forceful, efficacious, puissant The drug is extremely potent, but can have unpleasant side-effects.
strong weak, impotent
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

potent

adjective
1. Having great physical strength:
2. Having a high concentration of the distinguishing ingredient:
3. Having or able to exert great power:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
قوي، فَعّال
mocnýsilný
kraftig
öflugur
potencija
spēcīgsstiprs

potent

[ˈpəʊtənt] ADJpotente, poderoso; [drink] → fuerte; [remedy] → eficaz
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

potent

[ˈpəʊtənt] adj
[argument, symbol, mix, force, image] → puissant(e)
a potent weapon → une arme puissante
[drink] → fort(e); [drug] → puissant(e)
(= able to have sex) [man] → viril
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

potent

adj drink, drug, charm, motive etcstark; argument, reason etcdurchschlagend; weapon, combination, imagestark, mächtig, durchschlagend; reminderstark, beeindruckend; manpotent; rulermächtig
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

potent

[ˈpəʊtnt] adj (gen) → potente, forte (fig) (argument, reason) → validissimo/a
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

potent

(ˈpəutənt) adjective
powerful; strong. a potent drink.
ˈpotency noun
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

po·tent

a. potente, fuerte; eficaz, que posse potencia.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

potent

adj potente
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
Believe me the single word of Langford is not of such potent intelligence as to supersede the necessity of more.
O charms more potent than the rapt Chaldee Ever drew down from out the quiet stars!
Others contended that the stigma had not been produced until a long time subsequent, when old Roger Chillingworth, being a potent necromancer, had caused it to appear, through the agency of magic and poisonous drugs.
But above all, and to give a bacchanalian grace to this truly masculine repast, the captain produced his mellifluous keg of home-brewed nectar, which had been so potent over the senses of the veteran of Hudson's Bay.
More potent intoxicants these than any that need licenses for their purveyance, responsible-- see the poets--for no end of human foolishness.
There is in human nature generally, more of the fool than of the wise; and therefore those faculties, by which the foolish part of men's minds is taken, are most potent. Wonderful like is the case of boldness in civil business: what first?
He bolts down all events, all creeds, and beliefs, and persuasions, all hard things visible and invisible, never mind how knobby; as an ostrich of potent digestion gobbles down bullets and gun flints.
It was useless to change the subject--the evil influence that was on me was too potent to be charmed away by talk.
Besides, from the ashes of the burned scraps of the whale, a potent ley is readily made; and whenever any adhesiveness from the back of the whale remains clinging to the side, that ley quickly exterminates it.
We could ill spare any of them when they were so potent in paying car-fare for oneself and a girl.
I, too, in the grey, small, antique structure, with its low roof, its latticed casements, its mouldering walls, its avenue of aged firs--all grown aslant under the stress of mountain winds; its garden, dark with yew and holly--and where no flowers but of the hardiest species would bloom--found a charm both potent and permanent.
"There's not a doubt that it has some potent quality of magic in it and the wish you wish over it will come true."