High-powered
adj.capable, resilientprofessional
Meaning 1
Having substantial influence, authority, or professional capability.
Reach for it when describing a person or group with real institutional power
A high-powered legal team agreed to represent the tenants without charge.
Choose between these
4- playful
selection and exceptional standing are central
not when Elite can signal exclusion or status without useful capability.
- professional
ability to shape decisions is the exact fact
not when Influential can arise from trust or expertise without formal power.
- professional
senior
organizational rank explains access or authority
not when Seniority does not guarantee influence, judgment, or performance.
- formal
capability and reputation command serious attention
not when Formidable can sound intimidating and does not establish actual authority.
Meaning 2
Producing or using a large amount of physical power.
Reach for it when describing equipment whose power level is relevant to performance or safety
The high-powered lamp requires shielding during close inspection.
Choose between these
4- everyday
heavy-duty
equipment is built for demanding use
not when Heavy-duty concerns durability and workload, not necessarily power.
- everyday
substantial force or output should be stated plainly
not when Powerful may describe influence and can be ambiguous without the device named.
- professional
high-output
measured output rather than input power matters
not when High output can come from efficiency and does not mean high-powered.
- literary
a small source produces an unusually strong effect
not when Potent often describes chemicals or influence and may not mean high electrical or mechanical power.
Said against
4- powerless
- junior
- low-powered
- underpowered
It naturally appears in
3- high-powered team
The high-powered team still invited residents to challenge its assumptions.
- high-powered executive
A high-powered executive cannot substitute authority for evidence.
- high-powered equipment
High-powered equipment stays locked until trained staff begin the test.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English adjective figurative sense: influential, important, or highly capable opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Wiktionary, English adjective literal sense: operating with or producing high power opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.