powerless
adjective
pow·er·less
ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ləs 
1
: devoid of strength or resources
powerless victims
2
: lacking the authority or capacity to act
was powerless to help
powerlessly
adverb
powerlessness
noun
Examples of powerless in a Sentence
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump and his Justice Department are powerless to undermine state charges.
—
Nick Akerman, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
But Poole, an Air Force veteran who now works as a civilian trainer, says he's lost all trust in the government as President Donald Trump pushes a now-or-never buyout on federal workers and Democrats seem powerless to stop him.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Family privacy in schools has been steadily eroding for decades as policymakers have allowed FERPA—written in 1974, before personal computers or the web—to become powerless against tech's expansion into classrooms.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
If adopted, the legislative changes — pushed by House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton — would render DeSantis virtually powerless over immigration enforcement in Florida.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
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Nick Akerman, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
But Poole, an Air Force veteran who now works as a civilian trainer, says he's lost all trust in the government as President Donald Trump pushes a now-or-never buyout on federal workers and Democrats seem powerless to stop him.
—Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2025
Family privacy in schools has been steadily eroding for decades as policymakers have allowed FERPA—written in 1974, before personal computers or the web—to become powerless against tech's expansion into classrooms.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
If adopted, the legislative changes — pushed by House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton — would render DeSantis virtually powerless over immigration enforcement in Florida.
—Ana Ceballos, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for powerless
Articles Related to powerless
Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerless. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
powerless
adjective
pow·er·less
ˈpau̇(-ə)r-ləs
1
: lacking power, force, or energy
2
: lacking authority to act
powerlessly
adverb
powerlessness
noun
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