Plenipotence

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pliːˈnɪpətəns/

Definitions

1. The condition of having complete power and the authority to act independently
2. A state in which someone holds total legal or official control over decisions and actions
3. Possession of absolute authority to make decisions without needing approval from others

Etymology: "Plenipotence" is built from two Latin parts: "plenus", meaning "full," and "potentia", meaning "power" or "ability." Put together they give a literal sense of "full power," which is exactly what the English noun carries: the state of possessing complete, independent authority to act. The "-ence" ending is the familiar Latin-derived noun suffix found in words like "reference" and "difference." The root "potentia" is also the source of "potence" and "potent," so "plenipotence" sits in a family of words all built around the idea of having power. Its close relative "plenipotentiary," meaning a person given full authority to act for a government, is much more widely used, and "plenipotence" is essentially the abstract quality that such a person holds.

Synonyms: full authority, complete power