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Potent vs Powerful - What's the difference?

potent | powerful |

As adjectives the difference between potent and powerful

is that potent is possessing strength while powerful is having, or capable of exerting power, potency or influence.

As a noun potent

is a heraldic fur formed by a regular tessellation of blue and white T shapes.

potent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Possessing strength.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.
  • Being effective, causing body effects.
  • :
  • Having a sharp or offensive taste.
  • (lb) Able to procreate.
  • Very powerful or effective.
  • *(William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • *:harsh and potent injuries
  • *(John Milton) (1608-1674)
  • *:Moses once more his potent rod extends.

    • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (tincture) A heraldic fur formed by a regular tessellation of blue and white T shapes.
  • (obsolete) A prince; a potentate.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (obsolete) A staff or crutch.

    • Antonyms

    * impotent

    Related terms

    * potence * potency * potentate * potential * potentiality

    Derived terms

    * idempotent * nilpotent * unipotent * (l)

    External links

    * * ----

    powerful

    English

    Alternative forms

    * powerfull * powreful * powrefull

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Having, or capable of exerting power, potency or influence.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
    • The powerful grace that lies / In herbs, plants, stones, and their true qualities.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
    • , chapter=19 citation , passage=As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.}}
  • (mining) Large; capacious; said of veins of ore.

    • Synonyms

    * * *

    Antonyms

    * *