Potent

How to spell potent

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce potent

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does potent mean?

1. adjectiveHaving great power, influence, or effect.

Potent in a sentence

• The new medication proved far more potent than the previous one.

• A potent argument convinced the board to approve the budget.

Where does potent come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin potens, the present participle of the verb posse, which meant 'to be able' or 'to have power'. That verb was itself a blend of potis, meaning 'able' or 'capable', and esse, meaning 'to be', so the original sense was quite literally 'being capable'. English adopted the word in the early 1500s with the meaning 'powerful' or 'mighty', drawing directly on the Latin form rather than through French. The same Latin root sits inside a family of familiar relatives, including 'potential', 'omnipotent', and even 'possible', all of which carry the idea of power or ability. Because the second syllable is an unstressed schwa, writers sometimes hesitate over the ending, but the spelling stays faithful to the Latin -ent participle.

How the word is built

• pot- (from posse: to be able, to have power)
• -ent (adjective suffix forming a present participle)