potent¹

[poht-nt] /ˈpoʊt nt/

adjective

powerful; mighty:

a potent fighting force.

cogent; persuasive:

Several potent arguments were in his favor.

producing powerful physical or chemical effects:

a potent drug.

having or exercising great power or influence:

a potent factor in the economy.

(of a male) capable of sexual intercourse.

Origin

1490-1500; < Latin potent- (stem of potēns), present participle of posse to be able, have power; see -ent

Related forms

potently, adverb

potentness, noun

Synonyms

1. strong, puissant. See powerful. 4. influential.

Antonyms

1. weak. 4. ineffectual.

potent²

[poht-nt] /ˈpoʊt nt/

noun

a fur having a pattern of T -shaped forms, placed in alternate directions and having alternating tinctures, one metal and one color, so that all forms of one tincture face the same way and are between, above, and below forms of the other tincture facing the other way.

a T -shaped form used in potent or counterpotent.

adjective

(of a cross) having a crosspiece at the extremity of each arm:

a cross potent.

Origin

1325-75; Middle English potente crutch, variant of potence < French crutch, support < Medieval Latin potentia, Latin: power, potency

Examples from the web for potent

Placebo injections are more effective than placebo pills, and neither is as potent as sham surgery.
That's why it's very potent.
Your potent prince, the constable, shall not save you.
It's a gleeful but potent indictment on our wasteful culture.
There's also a sinister, nastily potent potable known as so-ju, which has a taste of vodka and rubbing alcohol.
Methane is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
But in the battle to win attention for an emerging writer, it's pretty hard to resist using such a potent weapon.
And cattle and sheep emit 20% of the World's methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
It was a great event — some were really potent films.
Even hill tops are less potent sources than the open sea.

British Dictionary definitions for potent

potent¹

/ˈpəʊtənt/

adjective

possessing great strength; powerful

(of arguments, etc) persuasive or forceful

influential or authoritative

tending to produce violent physical or chemical effects: a potent poison

(of a male) capable of having sexual intercourse

Derived Forms

potently, adverb
potentness, noun

Word Origin

C15: from Latin potēns able, from posse to be able

potent²

/ˈpəʊtənt/

adjective

(heraldry) (of a cross) having flat bars across the ends of the arms

Word Origin

C17: from obsolete potent a crutch, from Latin potentia power

Word Origin and History for potent

adj.

early 15c., from Latin potentem (nominative potens) "powerful," present participle of *potere "be powerful," from potis "powerful, able, capable; possible;" of persons, "better, preferable; chief, principal; strongest, foremost," from PIE root *poti- "powerful, lord" (cf. Sanskrit patih "master, husband," Greek posis, Lithuanian patis "husband"). Meaning "having sexual power" is first recorded 1899.

potent in Medicine

potent po·tent (pōt'nt)
adj.

Exerting or capable of exerting strong physiological or chemical effects.
Able to perform sexual intercourse. Used of a male.