Power vs. Strength — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 16, 2023
Power refers to the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way, while strength denotes the quality or state of being physically strong.
Difference Between Power and Strength
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Power is a concept that goes beyond physical might. It encompasses authority, influence, and control over situations or people. On the other hand, strength primarily refers to physical might or the ability to withstand force or pressure.
In a sociopolitical context, power refers to one's ability to influence decisions, control resources, or command respect. In contrast, strength in this realm can refer to the robustness of a group, its resilience, or the depth of its resources.
When considering machinery or technology, power typically denotes the capability or output of a system, like horsepower in a car. Meanwhile, strength might relate to the durability or resilience of a material or component.
In human qualities, power often aligns with influence, authority, or mastery over a skill. For instance, one might have the power of persuasion. Strength, in this sense, could refer to character, determination, or the ability to endure challenges.
Power can be fleeting or situational, dependent on external factors or resources. A person might hold power in one setting and not another. Strength, particularly of character, often remains more constant, an inherent quality that doesn't wane easily.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Ability to act or produce an effect
Quality of being physically strong
Contextual Use
Often related to control, authority, or influence
Commonly denotes resilience, durability, or robustness
Application
Can be physical, social, or political
Generally physical or related to character
Duration
Can be situational or temporary
Often inherent and constant
Source
May derive from external resources or authority
Typically comes from within or from physical composition
Compare with Definitions
Power
Legal or official authority.
The president holds the power to veto bills.
Strength
The capacity to resist force or pressure.
The strength of the material determines its usage.
Power
Magnification level of a lens.
The microscope has a power of 400x.
Strength
A beneficial quality or attribute of someone/something.
The team's main strength is its experienced players.
Power
The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way
His powers of concentration
The power of speech
I will do everything in my power to help you
Strength
The quality or state of being physically strong
Cycling can help you build up your strength
Power
The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events
She had me in her power
A political process that offers people power over their own lives
Strength
The capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure
They were taking no chances with the strength of the retaining wall
Power
Physical strength and force exerted by something or someone
The lyrical power of his prose
The power of the storm
Strength
The potency or degree of concentration of a drug, chemical, or drink
The solution comes in two strengths
It's double the strength of your average beer
Power
Energy that is produced by mechanical, electrical, or other means and used to operate a device
Generating power from waste
Power cables
Strength
A good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing
The strengths and weaknesses of their sales and marketing operation
His strength was his obsessive single-mindedness
Power
The rate of doing work, measured in watts or less frequently horse power.
Strength
The number of people comprising a group, typically a team or army
The peacetime strength of the army was 415,000
Power
The product obtained when a number is multiplied by itself a certain number of times
2 to the power of 4 equals 16
Strength
The state or quality of being strong; physical power or capacity
The strength needed to lift a box.
Power
A large number or amount of something
There's a power of difference between farming now and when I was a lad
Strength
The capacity to resist attack; impregnability
The strength of the ship's armor.
Power
Supply (a device) with mechanical or electrical energy
A nuclear-powered submarine
The car is powered by a fuel-injected 3.0-litre engine
Strength
The capacity to resist strain or stress; durability
The strength of the cables.
Power
Move or travel with great speed or force
He powered round a bend
Strength
The ability to deal with difficult situations or to maintain a moral or intellectual position
Does he have the strength to overcome such a tragedy?.
Power
The ability or capacity to act or do something effectively
Is it in your power to undo this injustice?.
Strength
The number of people constituting a normal or ideal organization
The police force has been at half strength since the budget cuts.
Power
Often powers A specific capacity, faculty, or aptitude
Her powers of concentration.
Strength
Capability in terms of numbers or resources
An army of fearsome strength.
Power
Physical strength or force exerted or capable of being exerted
The power of the waves.
Strength
An attribute or quality of particular worth or utility; an asset
Your easygoing nature is one of your strengths.
Power
Effectiveness at moving one's emotions or changing how one thinks
A novel of great power.
Strength
One that is regarded as the embodiment of protective or supportive power; a support or mainstay
Her family has been her strength in difficult times.
Power
The ability or official capacity to exercise control; authority
How long has that party been in power?.
Strength
Degree of concentration, distillation, or saturation
What's the strength of that cleaning solution?.
Power
The military strength or economic or political influence of a nation or other group
That country projects its power throughout the region.
Strength
Operative effectiveness or potency
The strength of the drug.
Power
A country, nation, or other political unit having great influence or control over others
The western powers.
Strength
Intensity, as of sound or light
The strength of the wind.
Power
A supernatural being
The powers of evil.
Strength
Intensity of emotion or belief
The strength of feeling among the voters.
Power
Powers(Christianity) The sixth of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology.
Strength
Cogency or persuasiveness
The strength of his argument.
Power
The energy or motive force by which a physical system or machine is operated
Turbines turned by steam power.
A sailing ship driven by wind power.
Strength
Effective or binding force; efficacy
The strength of an argument.
Power
The capacity of a system or machine to operate
A vehicle that runs under its own power.
Strength
Firmness of or a continuous rising tendency in prices, as of a currency or market.
Power
Electrical or mechanical energy, especially as used to assist or replace human energy.
Strength
(Games) Power derived from the value of playing cards held.
Power
Electricity supplied to a home, building, or community
A storm that cut off power to the whole region.
Strength
The quality or degree of being strong.
It requires great strength to lift heavy objects.
Power
(Physics) The rate at which work is done, expressed as the amount of work per unit time and commonly measured in units such as the watt and horsepower.
Strength
The intensity of a force or power; potency.
He had the strength of ten men.
Power
The product of applied potential difference and current in a direct-current circuit.
Strength
The strongest part of something; that on which confidence or reliance is based.
Power
The product of the effective values of the voltage and current with the cosine of the phase angle between current and voltage in an alternating-current circuit.
Strength
A positive attribute.
We all have our own strengths and weaknesses.
Power
See exponent.
Strength
(obsolete) An armed force, a body of troops.
Power
The number of elements in a finite set.
Strength
(obsolete) A strong place; a stronghold.
Power
(Statistics) In a statistical test, the probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis when it is false.
Strength
(obsolete) To strengthen all senses.
Power
A measure of the magnification of an optical instrument, such as a microscope or telescope.
Strength
The quality or state of being strong; ability to do or to bear; capacity for exertion or endurance, whether physical, intellectual, or moral; force; vigor; power; as, strength of body or of the arm; strength of mind, of memory, or of judgment.
All his [Samson's] strength in his hairs were.
Thou must outliveThy youth, thy strength, thy beauty.
Power
Chiefly Upper Southern US A large number or amount. See Note at powerful.
Strength
Power to resist force; solidity or toughness; the quality of bodies by which they endure the application of force without breaking or yielding; - in this sense opposed to frangibility; as, the strength of a bone, of a beam, of a wall, a rope, and the like.
Power
(Archaic) An armed force.
Strength
Power of resisting attacks; impregnability.
Power
Of or relating to political, social, or economic control
A power struggle.
A power base.
Strength
That quality which tends to secure results; effective power in an institution or enactment; security; validity; legal or moral force; logical conclusiveness; as, the strength of social or legal obligations; the strength of law; the strength of public opinion; strength of evidence; strength of argument.
Power
Operated with mechanical or electrical energy in place of bodily exertion
A power tool.
Power car windows.
Strength
One who, or that which, is regarded as embodying or affording force, strength, or firmness; that on which confidence or reliance is based; support; security.
God is our refuge and strength.
What they boded would be a mischief to us, you are providing shall be one of our principal strengths.
Certainly there is not a greater strength against temptation.
Power
Of or relating to the generation or transmission of electricity
Power companies.
Power lines.
Strength
Force as measured; amount, numbers, or power of any body, as of an army, a navy, and the like; as, what is the strength of the enemy by land, or by sea?
Power
(Informal) Of or relating to influential business or professional practices
A pinstriped suit with a power tie.
Met with high-level executives at a power breakfast.
Strength
Vigor or style; force of expression; nervous diction; - said of literary work.
And praise the easy vigor of a lifeWhere Denham's strength and Waller's sweetness join.
Power
To supply with power, especially mechanical or electrical power.
Strength
Intensity; - said of light or color.
Bright Phœbus in his strength.
Power
The ability to do or undergo something.
Strength
Intensity or degree of the distinguishing and essential element; spirit; virtue; excellence; - said of liquors, solutions, etc.; as, the strength of wine or of acids.
Power
(social) The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
Strength
A strong place; a stronghold.
Power
(countable) The ability to affect or influence.
Strength
To strengthen.
Power
Control or coercion, particularly legal or political (jurisdiction).
Strength
The property of being physically or mentally strong;
Fatigue sapped his strength
Power
The people in charge of legal or political power, the government.
Strength
Capability in terms of personnel and materiel that affect the capacity to fight a war;
We faced an army of great strength
Politicians have neglected our military posture
Power
(metonymically) An influential nation, company, or other such body.
Strength
Physical energy or intensity;
He hit with all the force he could muster
It was destroyed by the strength of the gale
A government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man
Power
An army, a military force.
Strength
An asset of special worth or utility;
Cooking is his forte
Power
Effectiveness.
Strength
The power to induce the taking of a course of action or the embracing of a point of view by means of argument or entreaty;
The strength of his argument settled the matter
Power
Physical force or strength.
He needed a lot of power to hit the ball out of the stadium.
Strength
The amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation);
He adjusted the intensity of the sound
They measured the station's signal strength
Power
Electricity or a supply of electricity.
After the pylons collapsed, this town was without power for a few days.
Strength
Capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects;
The toxin's potency
The strength of the drinks
Power
A measure of the rate of doing work or transferring energy.
Strength
The condition of financial success;
The strength of the company's stock in recent weeks
Power
The strength by which a lens or mirror magnifies an optical image.
We need a microscope with higher power.
Strength
Permanence by virtue of the power to resist stress or force;
They advertised the durability of their products
Power
A large amount or number.
Strength
The quality of being physically strong.
His strength allowed him to lift heavy weights.
Power
Any of the elementary forms or parts of machines: three primary (the lever, inclined plane, and pulley) and three secondary (the wheel-and-axle, wedge, and screw).
The mechanical powers
Strength
An inherent quality of firmness in character.
Her greatest strength was her unwavering honesty.
Power
A measure of the effectiveness that a force producing a physical effect has over time. If linear, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the displacement of or in an object) ÷ time. If rotational, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the angle of displacement) ÷ time.
Strength
Intensity or degree of a quality or characteristic.
The strength of the coffee was too much for me.
Power
(mathematics)
Power
A product of equal factors (and generalizations of this notion): , read as " to the power of " or the like, is called a power and denotes the product , where appears times in the product; is called the base and the exponent.
Power
(set theory) Cardinality.
Power
(statistics) The probability that a statistical test will reject the null hypothesis when the alternative hypothesis is true.
Power
In Christian angelology, an intermediate level of angels, ranked above archangels, but exact position varies by classification scheme.
Power
(transitive) To provide power for (a mechanical or electronic device).
This CD player is powered by batteries.
Power
(transitive) To hit or kick something forcefully.
Power
To enable or provide the impetus for.
Power
Impressive.
Power
Same as Poor, the fish.
Power
Ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing something; capacity for action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical or moral: potency; might; as, a man of great power; the power of capillary attraction; money gives power.
Power
Ability, regarded as put forth or exerted; strength, force, or energy in action; as, the power of steam in moving an engine; the power of truth, or of argument, in producing conviction; the power of enthusiasm.
Power
Capacity of undergoing or suffering; fitness to be acted upon; susceptibility; - called also passive power; as, great power of endurance.
Power, then, is active and passive; faculty is active power or capacity; capacity is passive power.
Power
The exercise of a faculty; the employment of strength; the exercise of any kind of control; influence; dominion; sway; command; government.
Power is no blessing in itself but when it is employed to protect the innocent.
Power
The agent exercising an ability to act; an individual invested with authority; an institution, or government, which exercises control; as, the great powers of Europe; hence, often, a superhuman agent; a spirit; a divinity.
And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Power
A military or naval force; an army or navy; a great host.
Never such a power . . . Was levied in the body of a land.
Power
A large quantity; a great number; as, a power o good things.
Power
The rate at which mechanical energy is exerted or mechanical work performed, as by an engine or other machine, or an animal, working continuously; as, an engine of twenty horse power.
Power
A mechanical agent; that from which useful mechanical energy is derived; as, water power; steam power; hand power, etc.
Power
The product arising from the multiplication of a number into itself; as, a square is the second power, and a cube is third power, of a number.
Power
A machine acted upon by an animal, and serving as a motor to drive other machinery; as, a dog power.
Power
Mental or moral ability to act; one of the faculties which are possessed by the mind or soul; as, the power of thinking, reasoning, judging, willing, fearing, hoping, etc.
The guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness . . . into a received belief.
Power
The degree to which a lens, mirror, or any optical instrument, magnifies; in the telescope, and usually in the microscope, the number of times it multiplies, or augments, the apparent diameter of an object; sometimes, in microscopes, the number of times it multiplies the apparent surface.
Power
An authority enabling a person to dispose of an interest vested either in himself or in another person; ownership by appointment.
Power
Hence, vested authority to act in a given case; as, the business was referred to a committee with power.
Power
Possession of controlling influence;
The deterrent power of nuclear weapons
The power of his love saved her
His powerfulness was concealed by a gentle facade
Power
(physics) the rate of doing work; measured in watts (= joules/second)
Power
Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done;
Danger heightened his powers of discrimination
Power
A state powerful enough to influence events throughout the world
Power
(of a government or government official) holding an office means being in power;
Being in office already gives a candidate a great advantage
During his first year in office
During his first year in power
The power of the president
Power
One possessing or exercising power or influence or authority;
The mysterious presence of an evil power
May the force be with you
The forces of evil
Power
Physical strength
Power
A mathematical notation indicating the number of times a quantity is multiplied by itself
Power
A very wealthy or powerful businessman;
An oil baron
Power
Supply the force or power for the functioning of;
The gasoline powers the engines
Power
Capacity or ability to influence the behavior of others.
Her power of persuasion was unmatched.
Power
Physical or mechanical energy used to perform work.
The dam provides power to the entire city.
Power
Ability to act or produce an effect.
The power of that medicine is well-documented.
Common Curiosities
How can one increase their power in a community?
Increasing power can come from gaining respect, influence, or control over resources in a community.
Is mental resilience a form of strength?
Yes, mental resilience is considered a form of inner strength.
In machines, what does power refer to?
In machines, power typically denotes capability or output, whereas strength refers to durability.
Can a person have strength without power?
Yes, one can have physical strength or strong character without wielding power over others.
Are power and strength always positive attributes?
While often seen positively, power can be misused, and excessive strength can sometimes lead to overconfidence.
How does power differ from strength in a leadership context?
Power often refers to a leader's authority or control, while strength may denote their character or resilience.
How do athletes define power and strength?
Athletes might view power as explosive ability or output, while strength as muscle capacity or endurance.
Can strength be a source of power?
Yes, physical strength or strength of character can lead to power in certain contexts.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
