Adjacent Words

Potency definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PO'TENCY, n. [L. potentia, from potens; possum, posse. See Power.]
1. Power; physical power, energy or efficacy; strength.
2. Moral power; influence; authority.
Now arriving
At place of potency and sway o' th' state.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the power or right to give orders or make decisions; "he has the authority to issue warrants"; "deputies are given authorization to make arrests"; "a place of potency in the state" [syn: authority, authorization, authorisation, potency, dominance, say-so]
2: capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects; "the toxin's potency"; "the strength of the drinks" [syn: potency, effectiveness, strength]
3: the inherent capacity for coming into being [syn: potential, potentiality, potency]
4: the state of being potent; a male's capacity to have sexual intercourse [syn: potency, potence] [ant: impotence, impotency]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural -cies) Date: 15th century 1. a. force, power b. the quality or state of being potent c. the ability or capacity to achieve or bring about a particular result 2. potentiality 1

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Potency Po"ten*cy, n. [L. potentia, from potens, -entis, potent. See Potent, and cf. Potance, Potence, Puissance.] The quality or state of being potent; physical or moral power; inherent strength; energy; ability to effect a purpose; capability; efficacy; influence. ``Drugs of potency.'' --Hawthorne. A place of potency and away o' the state. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. Potency is the power and influence that a person, action, or idea has to affect or change people's lives, feelings, or beliefs. They testify to the extraordinary potency of his personality... = power N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp 2. The potency of a drug, poison, or other chemical is its strength. Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet. N-UNCOUNT: usu with poss 3. Potency is the ability of a man to have sex. Alcohol abuse in men can cause loss of sex drive and reduced potency.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Power, might, efficacy, force, strength, energy, vigor, puissance. 2. Authority, influence, sway, control.

Moby Thesaurus

amperage, armipotence, ascendancy, authoritativeness, authority, beef, birr, black power, brute force, capability, carnality, charge, charisma, charm, clout, cogence, cogency, coldness, compulsion, consequence, control, credit, decisiveness, demonic energy, dint, dominance, domination, drive, duress, dynamism, effect, effectiveness, effectuality, efficiency, eminence, enchantment, endurance, energy, ergal, esteem, favor, flesh, fleshliness, flower power, force, force majeure, forcefulness, fortitude, frigidity, full blast, full force, go, good feeling, guts, gutsiness, hardihood, hardiness, heartiness, hold, importance, impotence, incidental power, influence, influentiality, insinuation, intensity, intestinal fortitude, kinetic energy, leadership, leverage, libido, love, lovemaking, lustihood, lustiness, machismo, magisterialness, magnetism, main force, main strength, mana, manly vigor, marriage, mastery, might, might and main, mightiness, moment, moxie, muscle, muscle power, obstinacy, pep, personality, persuasion, pizzazz, poop, potence, potential energy, potentiality, power, power pack, power structure, power struggle, powerfulness, predominance, preponderance, prepotency, pressure, prestige, productiveness, productivity, puissance, pull, punch, purchase, push, reign, repute, robustness, ruggedness, rule, say, sensuality, sex drive, sexiness, sexual instinct, sexual power, sexual urge, sexualism, sexuality, sinew, stalwartness, stamina, staying power, steam, sticking power, stoutness, strength, strength of will, strenuousness, strong arm, sturdiness, suasion, subtle influence, suggestion, superiority, superpower, supremacy, sway, toughness, tuck, ultramasculinity, upper hand, validity, vehemence, vigor, vigorousness, vim, virileness, virility, virtue, virulence, vitality, voluptuousness, wattage, weight, whip hand