What is the Latin word for power?

The usual Latin words for “power” are volō, rōbur, nervus; also lacertus, ops, facultās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“power” in Latin

volōto wish, to please; to want; to mean, to intend rōbura tough-wooded oak tree; hardness; strength nervusa cord, string, thong or wire; the leather with which shields were covered; a fiber lacertusThe muscular part of the upper arm, including the shoulder, biceps, and triceps.; The arm.; A muscle.opsstrength, power, power to help, property; resources, wealth, riches; assistance, help, aid, support facultāsability to do any thing easily, skill, capacity, power; means, resources; opportunity, chance cōpiasupply, abundance, copiousness, wealth, riches; plenty, fulness, multitude; opportunity, facilities (the means of doing efficiōto make out or work out; effect, execute, complete, accomplish, make, form, compose; to cause to occur, to bring about, potestāspower, ability; mastery, control; authority, jurisdiction arbitriumthe decision of an arbiter, arbitration; judgement, decision, opinion; discretion, liberal decision; arbitrary decision,

The English word power itself goes back to Latin possum, through posso.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

power

Strength, vis (general term, physical and moral; plur., vires, forces; hence even in Liv., 9, 16, virium vis, i. e., strong powers; and with the historians vires frequently = forces, i. e., troops): robur (sound physical strength): nervi, lacerti (muscular strength; hence, figuratively, great power): opes (influence, money, etc.): facultates, copiae (means, consisting in money or troops): facultas aliquid faciendi (general term, capability of doing anything): efficientia (efficacy; e.g., solis). Without power [Vid: POWERLESS]: to be in full power, vigere corpore (of body) or animo (of mind): the united powers of the Senate, consentientis senatūs nervi atque vires: from or with one’s own powers, suis or propriis viribus (general term; e.g., aliquid exsequi): according to one’s power, pro viribus; quantum in me situm est; ut potero (☞ but not pro parte virili, which = according to one’s duty): each according to his power, pro se quisque (as Caes., B.G., 2, 25, extr.): with all one’s power, omnibus viribus; omnibus nervis; omnibus opibus ac viribus omnibus viribus atque opibus; omni ope; omnibus opibus ac nervis; omni contentione (with the greatest exertion): toto animo et studio omni (with all one’s mind and heart); or the proverbial (but rare), toto corpore atque omnibus ungulis (Cic., Tusc., 2, 24, in): viris equisque (Cic., Off., 3, 33, 116): velis, ut ita dicam, remisque (Cic., Tusc., 3, 11, extr.): manibus pedibusque (Ter., Andr., 1, 1, 134): to put forth all one’s powers, omni ope niti or omni contentione elaborare, ut, etc.; eniti et contendere or laborare et contendere, ut, etc.: I have not power enough for anything, non satis virium est ad aliquid; (scarcely enough) vix ad aliquid quod satis est virium habso: I lose power, vires me deficiunt: to get, gain power, vires colligere; vires assumere; ad vires pervenire; convalescere (to grow strong): to recover, regain power, vires recolligere, revocare, recipere, or recuperare; se recipere: to deprive virtue of her power, nervos virtutis elidere: liberality ought not to exceed our powers, videndum est ne major sit benignitas quam facultates: to have power, vim habere, ostendere, or prodere (to produce effect): prodesse, juvare (to benefit, help): to be in power, ratum esse (of laws, decrees, etc.): exerceri (to be practised; of laws, Liv., 4, 51): to put a law into power, legem exercere: power of mind, animi vis, virtus; ingenium (Vid: Hor., Sat., 1, 4, 43, Heind.): vis ingenii: the powers of the human mind, hominis sollertia (Vid: Cic., N.D., 2, 6, 18): to develop the powers of the mind, animum mentemque excolere.

Influence, ability, general term, potestas; arbitrium, liberum arbitrium (free-will): jus (right). It is in my power (to do anything), in mea manu, or in mea potestate est. or positum est; in mea potestate or in me situm est: it is not in our power, non est in potestate nostra: to have power of life and death, potestatem vitae necisque habere: all whose lives are in the power of another, omnes quorum in alterius manu vita posita est.

Authority, dominion, potestas (general term, especially of a magistrate): imperium (of the commander of an army. ☞ Dictators, consuls, and praetors had both potestas and imperium; curule aediles, quaestors, and tribunes of the people had only potestas). To come under the power of a husband, viro in manum convenire (Cic., Top., 4, 23): to fall into the power of anyone, in alicujus (e.g., hostis) manus incidere: to get anyone in his power, aliquo potiri: to have anyone in one’s power, aliquem in potestatem suam suscepisse (as the father has a son; Vid: Cic., Caecin., 34, 98): unlimited power, potestas infinita; dominatio: to obtain the highest power, potiri rerum: to possess supreme power, summum imperium habere or tenere; summam imperii tenere (especially in war, as a general): summa potestas or summa rerum est penes aliquem: to be in power, cum imperio, or cum potestate, or cum imperio et potestate esse; versari cum imperio et potestate in republica: figuratively, to have anything in one’s power, aliquid in potestate sua habere (e.g., affectus): imperare alicui rei (to moderate; e.g., cupiditatibus): to have power over one’s voice, vocem suam moderari posse.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for power?: The usual Latin words for “power” are volō, rōbur, nervus; also lacertus, ops, facultās. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.