omnipotent
/ɒmˈnɪpətənt/
adjective
Origin
Latin
omnipotens — all-powerful
Overview
Meaning Now
- Having unlimited power or authority; all-powerful.
Literal older meaning
all-powerful
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
omnipotent
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term was primarily used in theological contexts to describe the nature of God, derived from the Latin 'omnipotens' which was a common epithet for deities in the Roman world, later adopted by Christian writers.
Evolution
- Classical Latin
omnipotens
“all-powerful”
- Old French
omnipotent
“all-powerful”
- Middle English
omnipotent
“having total authority”
Connections
Word parts
omni-
prefix
all
potent
root
powerful
Related across languages
French
all-powerful
Spanish
omnipotente
all-powerful
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Related to omnipotent
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.