powerful
- Having a lot of strength, force, or influence over others.
- Having a strong effect on someone's feelings or thoughts.
In a sentence
- The powerful storm knocked down trees and cut power to thousands of homes.
- The documentary told a powerful story about children living in poverty.
Usage note. 'Powerful' collocates naturally with 'speech,' 'engine,' 'leader,' and 'message'; when describing medicine or chemicals, 'potent' is often the more precise choice.
Where it comes from
English powerful · entered English 15th c.
A native English compound formed from 'power' and the suffix '-ful,' meaning 'full of.' 'Power' itself came from Old French 'povoir' (to be able), from Latin 'potere' (to be able), related to 'potens' (powerful). The compound 'powerful' appeared in English by the 15th century.