Puissaunce

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Great force, strength, or authority that allows someone to act or prevail over opponents
2. The capacity to exert influence or overcome resistance through sheer mightiness and vigor
3. Archaic term for military or physical might, the ability to dominate through power

Etymology: "Puissaunce" is a Middle English noun meaning power, might, or armed strength, and it is an early borrowing from Old French. The Old French "puissance" descends from Latin "posse," "to be able," which is also the source of English "possible," so the word belongs to the same family as ideas of capability and ability. English took it in during the Middle Ages, and it appears in the poetry and romances of that period, where it commonly describes military force or the might of a ruler. The spelling "puissaunce" reflects how Middle English writers rendered the Old French form, with the "-aunce" ending matching other borrowed nouns of the period such as "substaunce" and "allyaunce." Over time the word fell out of everyday use and was eventually replaced by "power" and "puissance" in its more French-looking form, which English speakers now mostly encounter in older literature or in the phrase "puissant."

Synonyms: puissance, power, might, strength, force

Antonyms: weakness, impotence