omnipotent

1 of 2

adjective

om·​nip·​o·​tent äm-ˈni-pə-tənt How to pronounce omnipotent (audio)
1
often capitalized : almighty sense 1
2
: having virtually unlimited authority or influence
an omnipotent ruler
3
obsolete : arrant
omnipotently adverb

omnipotent

2 of 2

noun

1
: one who has unlimited power or authority : one who is omnipotent
2
capitalized : god sense 1

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Knowledge Is Power: Defining Omnipotent

The word omnipotent made its way into English through Anglo-French, but it ultimately comes from a combination of the Latin prefix omni-, meaning "all," and the word potens, meaning "potent." The omni- prefix has also given us similar words such as omniscient (meaning "all-knowing") and omnivorous (describing one that eats both plants and animals). Although omnipotent is most often used in general contexts to mean "having virtually unlimited authority or influence" (as in "an omnipotent ruler"), it was originally applied specifically to the power held by an almighty deity. The word has been used as an English adjective since the 14th century, and since the 16th century it has also been used as a noun referring to one who is omnipotent.

Examples of omnipotent in a Sentence

Adjective Rockefeller mostly left the uncertain task of drilling to thousands of independent producers, who then competed furiously to sell him crude oil at the cheapest possible price. As a result, he was loathed by the drillers, who saw him as an omnipotent deity shadowing their lives. Ron Chernow, Vanity Fair, May 1998
Whether or not the Big Bang truly implies that the universe was created out of nothing by an omnipotent deity in a wholly gratuitous act of love, it does demonstrate that the universe is, as philosophers say, contingent—that is, it need not have existed. Jim Holt, Harper's, November 1994
Tad fixes another round and by the time you all troop out of the bathroom you are feeling omnipotent. Jay McInerney, Bright Lights, Big City, 1984
the nearly universal religious belief that God is omnipotent and omniscient Noun He pursued his own thoughts without heeding me. 'Jane! you think me, I daresay, an irreligious dog: but my heart swells with gratitude to the beneficent God of this earth just now.  … I did wrong: I would have sullied my innocent flower—breathed guilt on its purity: the Omnipotent snatched it from me.' Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In the last episode of Peacock’s Mrs. Davis, Simone (Betty Gilpin) finally gets to the truth behind the seemingly omnipotent algorithm of the title. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023 In practice, however, algorithm designers often aren’t planning around worst-case scenarios, with an omnipotent adversary and complete ignorance of the future. Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023 Thanks to the constraints imposed by the Zeitgeist, the Fed was omnipotent in principle but impotent in practice. Sebastian Mallaby, Foreign Affairs, 30 June 2021 In it, the omnipotent creature is an AI that looks like a human being and has a human name, Vermis. Savina Petkova, Variety, 2 Nov. 2023 Inspired by the likes of Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán, and Jair Bolsonaro, conservative leaders now embrace a distinctly authoritarian form of government under the direct control of a nearly omnipotent president. James Goodwin, The New Republic, 30 Aug. 2023 Although drones are hardly omnipotent, there is tremendous potential to improve their autonomous capabilities to match and perhaps outpace future countermeasures, possibly indefinitely. Kenneth M. Pollack, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022 As the omnipotent chief executive, Ferdinand could indefinitely extend his and Imelda’s official grip on power, snuffing out political obstacles and opposition. Time, 27 July 2023 Frye seeks to show how the Kremlin’s actions are the result of countless tradeoffs and difficult choices, rather than the expression of an omnipotent ruler’s whims or an insuperable historical legacy. Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'omnipotent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin omnipotent-, omnipotens, from omni- + potent-, potens potent

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of omnipotent was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near omnipotent

Cite this Entry

“Omnipotent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/omnipotent. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

omnipotent

adjective
om·​nip·​o·​tent
äm-ˈnip-ət-ənt
: having power or authority without limit : almighty
omnipotently adverb

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