Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

powerlessness

/pˈaʊɚləsnəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.53 in modern English

Syllables: pow-er-less-ness
IPA: /pˈaʊɚləsnəs/

18

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

4

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The state or character of being powerless; absence or lack of power.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Near-synonym: helplessness"
"In July 1717, a commission established by Orléans to adjudicate the issue had emphatically denied the successoral claims of the two brothers, and the Regent declared himself in a state of ‘happy powerlessness to alienate the crown's domain’."

Etymology

Etymology tree English powerless Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English powerlessness From powerless + -ness.

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

powerlessnesses (plural)

Frequently Paired Words

helplessness weakness

Synonyms

impotence helplessness impotency

Antonyms

power powerfulness

Questions

How do you pronounce powerlessness?: The recorded pronunciation is /pˈaʊɚləsnəs/.
What does powerlessness mean?: The state or character of being powerless; absence or lack of power.
Where does powerlessness come from?: Etymology tree English powerless Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English powerlessness From powerless + -ness.

How to pronounce powerlessness

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