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potency

American  
[poht-n-see] / ˈpoʊt n si /

noun

plural

potencies

  1. the state or quality of being potent.

    Synonyms:
    potential, capacity, energy, force, strength

  2. power; authority.

    the potency of God's word.

  3. efficacy; effectiveness; strength.

  4. capacity to be, become, or develop; potentiality.

  5. a person or thing exerting power or influence.

  6. Mathematics. cardinal number.

potency British  
/ ˈpəʊtənsɪ /

noun

  1. the state or quality of being potent

  2. latent or inherent capacity for growth or development

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does potency mean? Potency means strength and effectiveness.It is most commonly used in the context of medications and drugs in reference to how strong or effective they are or are capable of being.It can also be used in a more general way to refer to the power or effectiveness of someone or something, such as a leader or a statement.Potency is the noun form of the adjective potent, which generally means powerful but is commonly applied to things that produce a powerful physical or chemical effect.Example: The medication will lose its potency if kept in the sunlight.

Other Word Forms

  • overpotency noun

Etymology

Origin of potency

From the Latin word potentia, dating back to 1530–40. See potent 1, -ency

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.