world power
12
4.2
- noun
- /wɜrld ˈpaʊər/
:
potencia mundial
- Spain was no longer a world power, and its former lands in the Americas were all independent countries.
- a leading world power
- the rise to world power
- recognized as a world power
That itself is a terrifying vision because the capacity for abuse by a single world power will be so problematic.
- That itself is a terrifying vision because the capacity for abuse by a single world power will be so problematic.
- Great Britain, the Kingdom, the greatest empire that ever existed to that point, the world power, it was a world superpower.
- So there's just such a number of world powers and world leaders, I think that have bought property in or around that specific airport.
- But you know, it's like, OK, well, each world power is going to try and use all the same tools and technology, AI, crypto, social media for their own advantage.
- And you know, world powers come and go as you if you study history.
Examples
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America is still the strongest world power and does have a role to play in world politics.
Blog text (19) -
And it may be because the United States is such a world power now, people have not realized that it is vulnerable.
Academic text (1997) -
I am afraid there is a new world power at play.
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But the US is a major world power.
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The United States is a major world power.
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In the decades after World War I, Britain was a leading world power.
Academic text (2004) -
What we do here will affect the balance of world power.
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As world powers go, it sees itself as the most benign in history.
Academic text (2000) -
America should be slow to engage troops, seeking instead diplomatic solutions together with major allies and other world powers.
Academic text (2001) -
The United States is considered a major world power due to its economic influence and military strength.
Synonyms
118
4.6
A very powerful country that can influence the world
21
4.9
A country that can affect events around the world
6
4.6
A country with strong military and political influence worldwide
Antonyms
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'world' (global) modifies 'power' (ability to influence), so the meaning 'a state with global influence' is directly derivable from the parts. The construction is cross-linguistically common and follows normal English compounding/modification patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand it.
Etymology
World power may come from the image of a country whose power reaches across the world, like a strong leader whose actions are felt in many places. So, it means 'a state that can influence events worldwide'.