puissant
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French puissant, poissant, Anglo-Norman puissant, Old French pussant, et al., present participle of pooir (“to be able”), ultimately from Latin posse (“be able”).
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈpwɪs(ə)nt/, /ˈpjuːɪs(ə)nt/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 290: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈpjuəsənt/, /ˈpwɪsənt/
Audio (US): (file)
Adjective
puissant (comparative more puissant, superlative most puissant)
- (archaic or literary) Powerful, mighty, having authority.
- 1599 — William Shakespeare, Hen V i 2
- Awake remembrance of these valiant dead, / And with your puissant arm renew their feats.
- 1667 — John Milton, Paradise Lost Book I
- For who can yet believe, though after loss,
That all these puissant legions, whose exile
Hath emptied Heaven, shall fail to re-ascend,
Self-raised, and repossess their native seat?
- For who can yet believe, though after loss,
- Lua error in Module:quote at line 3245: Parameter 2 is not used by this template.
- I cried in a loud voice, "Long live the most puissant king of Lilliput!"
- 1851, Herman Melville, Moby Dick, chapter 24
- How comes all this, if there be not something puissant in whaling?
- 1961 - Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land
- In fact the titles could be anything-or (with some of the most puissant) no title at all...
- 1599 — William Shakespeare, Hen V i 2
Related terms
Translations
powerful, mighty
Anagrams
French
Etymology
Old present participle of the verb pouvoir (formed with the stem puis-; compare the modern form pouvant), from Old French puissant, pussant.
Pronunciation
Adjective
puissant (feminine puissante, masculine plural puissants, feminine plural puissantes)
Related terms
Further reading
- “puissant”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Old French
Alternative forms
Etymology
From the present participle of pooir, povoir, formed with the stem puis- in conjugated forms of the verb.
Pronunciation
Adjective
puissant m (oblique and nominative feminine singular puissant or puissante)
Declension
Declension of puissant
Related terms
Descendants
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Middle French
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with archaic senses
- English literary terms
- French terms inherited from Old French
- French terms derived from Old French
- French 2-syllable words
- French terms with IPA pronunciation
- French terms with audio links
- French lemmas
- French adjectives
- Old French terms with IPA pronunciation
- Old French lemmas
- Old French adjectives