potens

Latin

Etymology

Present active participle of possum (be able (to)). Possibly derived from Proto-Italic *potēnts.

Pronunciation

Adjective

potēns (genitive potentis, comparative potentior, superlative potentissimus, adverb potenter); third-declension one-termination participle

  1. being able (to), able; potent, mighty, strong, powerful
    Synonyms: praevalēns, fortis, potis, validus, strēnuus, ingēns, firmus, compos
    Antonyms: dēbilis, languidus, aeger, fractus, tenuis, obnoxius, īnfirmus, inops
    potens (or compos) suimaster of himself, self-controlled

Declension

Third-declension participle.

singular plural
masc./fem. neuter masc./fem. neuter
nominative potēns potentēs potentia
genitive potentis potentium
dative potentī potentibus
accusative potentem potēns potentēs
potentīs
potentia
ablative potente
potentī1
potentibus
vocative potēns potentēs potentia

1When used purely as an adjective.

Derived terms

Descendants

  • French: pouvant
  • Italian: potente
  • Sicilian: putenti
  • Spanish: pudiente
  • English: potent
  • German: Potenz
  • Portuguese: potente
  • Romanian: potent
  • Spanish: potente

References

  • potens”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • potens”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • potens in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2025), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
  • "potens", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • potens in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
  • Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
    • (ambiguous) oligarchy: paucorum dominatio or potentia
  • potens in Ramminger, Johann (16 July 2016 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin potentia.

Noun

potens m (definite singular potensen, indefinite plural potenser, definite plural potensene)

  1. potency
  2. (mathematics) power

References

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin potentia.

Noun

potens m (definite singular potensen, indefinite plural potensar, definite plural potensane)

  1. potency
  2. (mathematics) power

References

Swedish

Etymology

From Latin potentia.

Noun

potens c

  1. potency (ability to become erect, etc.)
    Antonym: impotens
  2. potency (power, ability, etc.)
  3. (mathematics) a base together with its exponent, an exponential expression

Declension

Declension of potens
nominative genitive
singular indefinite potens potens
definite potensen potensens
plural indefinite potenser potensers
definite potenserna potensernas

References

Anagrams