potens

Latin

Etymology

Present active participle of possum (“be able (to)”). Possibly derived from Proto-Italic *potēnts.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈpo.tens/, [ˈpɔt̪ẽːs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈpo.tens/, [ˈpɔːt̪ens]

Adjective

potēns (genitive potentis, comparative potentior, superlative potentissimus, adverb potenter); third-declension one-termination participle

1. being able (to), able; potent, mighty, strong, powerful

   Synonyms: praevalēns, fortis, potis, validus, strēnuus, ingēns, firmus, compos

   Antonyms: dēbilis, languidus, aeger, fractus, tenuis, obnoxius, īnfirmus, inops

   potens (or compos) sui ― master of himself, self-controlled

Declension

Third-declension participle.

Number	Singular			Plural
Case / Gender	Masc./Fem.	Neuter		Masc./Fem.	Neuter
Nominative	potēns			potentēs	potentia
Genitive	potentis			potentium
Dative	potentī			potentibus
Accusative	potentem	potēns		potentēs potentīs	potentia
Ablative	potente potentī1			potentibus
Vocative	potēns			potentēs	potentia

¹When used purely as an adjective.

Derived terms

• armipotēns
• astripotēns
• bellipotēns
• omnipotēns
• potentia

Descendants

• French: pouvant
• Italian: potente
• Sicilian: putenti
• Spanish: pudiente
• → English: potent
• → German: Potenz
• → Portuguese: potente
• → Romanian: potent
• → Spanish: potente

References

• “potens”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “potens”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• potens in Enrico Olivetti, editor (2003-2024), Dizionario Latino, Olivetti Media Communication
• potens in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• potens in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner, Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎^[1], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) oligarchy: paucorum dominatio or potentia
    
• potens in Ramminger, Johann (2016 July 16 (last accessed)) Neulateinische Wortliste: Ein Wörterbuch des Lateinischen von Petrarca bis 1700‎^[2], pre-publication website, 2005-2016

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin potentia.

Noun

potens m (definite singular potensen, indefinite plural potenser, definite plural potensene)

1. potency
2. (mathematics) power

References

• “potens” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Latin potentia.

Noun

potens m (definite singular potensen, indefinite plural potensar, definite plural potensane)

1. potency
2. (mathematics) power

References

• “potens” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology

From Latin potentia.

Noun

potens c

1. potency (ability to become erect, etc.)

   Antonym: impotens

2. potency (power, ability, etc.)
3. (mathematics) a base together with its exponent, an exponential expression

Declension

Declension of potens
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	potens	potensen	potenser	potenserna
Genitive	potens	potensens	potensers	potensernas

References

• potens in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• potens in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• potens in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• posten, stopen