Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

soft power

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.62 in modern English

Syllables
soft- pow-er
IPA
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Political influence that is extended by means of diplomacy, media, international assistance, cultural exchanges, etc., rather than by such "hard" means as military intervention or punitive economic measures.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A state having this kind of power.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye in the late 1980s and popularized in the 1990 book “Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power”.

Usage

Inflected Forms

Phrases

hard power smart power sharp power cultural diplomacy

Frequently Paired Words

hard power smart power sharp power cultural diplomacy

Questions

What does soft power mean?
Political influence that is extended by means of diplomacy, media, international assistance, cultural exchanges, etc., rather than by such "hard" means as military intervention or punitive economic measures.
Where does soft power come from?
Coined by American political scientist Joseph Nye in the late 1980s and popularized in the 1990 book “Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power”.

How to pronounce soft power

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “soft power”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “soft power”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “soft power” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.