great power
21
4.9
- noun
- /ɡreɪt ˈpaʊər/
:
gran potencia
- The third aspect of the strategy was to work on great power relationships.
- great power conflict
- great power wars
- great power Concert
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that great power wars are industrial conflicts.
- The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that great power wars are industrial conflicts.
- It is clear now that Britain is not the great power its leader thought it still was.
- Unlike some other great powers, we are not slaves to the price of oil.
- So you'll all remember Poland had been a great power.
- Russia being in the first rank of the great powers.
- Namely, once a great power did start a war, how many people were they able to kill per country per year?
Examples
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With great power comes great responsibility.
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You carry with you an object of great, great power.
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A hundred years ago, the great powers were locked in economic and political competition.
Academic text (1995) -
If he took Poland by force, the great powers would go to war.
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Contemporary China has emerged as a great power, and one with global as well as regional aspirations.
Academic text (1995) -
Russians want their country to be a great power, a superpower if possible.
Academic text (2015) -
Europe was a divided continent whose great powers were locked in perpetual feuds.
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The new treaty was a significant step towards stabilizing relations between the great powers.
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The influence of great powers like the United States and China affects all global policies.
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During the summit, leaders discussed how great powers can cooperate on climate change.
Synonyms
118
4.6
A very powerful country that can influence the world
12
4.2
A country strong enough to influence events and policies around the world
6
4.6
A country with strong military and political influence worldwide
4
9.3
A country, group, or person that is more powerful than others and leads them
Antonyms
How Powerful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a country with the ability to influence international events' is directly derivable from 'great' (very significant/large) + 'power' (ability to influence). This straightforward adjective+noun composition follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer that 'great power' refers to a very powerful country or state.
Etymology
Great power comes from the image of a very great (large) country with strong power, like a giant or a big ship that can reach far and move other places. So, it now means a country that can 'influence' events and 'show' power around the world.