1
general::
noun authority/control ADJ. absolute, ultimate | considerable, enormous | limited | arbitrary | economic, legal, legislative, political | popular | secular VERB + POWER come to, rise to When did this government come to power? | assume, seize, take The Crown prince assumed power in his father's place. | restore sb to, return sb to | have, hold The court has no power to order a psychiatric examination of the child's parents. They held power for 18 years. | share | exercise, use, wield | confer, give sb, grant sb The new law delegates many of these powers to school governors. | fall from, lose They fell from power in 1992. | give up, relinquish, renounce | delegate, devolve POWER + VERB be concentrated in (the hands of sb/sth), rest with sb/sth The real legislative power still rests with the lower chamber. POWER + NOUN struggle getting the upper hand in a power struggle | base The party's power base is in the industrial north of the country. PREP. in (your) ~ the party in power They held us in their power. | ~ of the power of veto | ~ over The government has limited legal powers over television. PHRASES abuse of power, the balance of power The war brought about a shift in the balance of power. | a bid for power, the exercise of power, a position of power the father's position of power and influence in the home | the power behind the throne (= the person who is really in control) People say that the prime minister's wife is the power behind the throne. | power-hungry The company was too small to hold two such power-hungry men. | a transfer of power the transfer of power from a military to a civilian government ability to do sth ADJ. air, military, naval, sea an increase in Britain's air power | fire weapons with enormous fire power | bargaining | computing | healing the healing power of sleep | earning, purchasing | staying Having served in four governments, he has the greatest staying power of any politician today. | magic, magical, mystical, psychic, supernatural They believe he has supernatural powers. VERB + POWER have | use | develop | lose Religion is rapidly losing its power to shape our behaviour. PREP. beyond sb/sth's ~ a task still beyond any computer's power | in/within your I'm afraid it's not within my power to help you. | through the ~ of He wants to change the world through the power of prayer. | ~s as a tribute to his powers as a teacher | ~ of her powers of observation I lost my power of speech for a while after the accident. PHRASES at the height/peak/zenith of your powers In 1946 Dali was at the peak of his powers. | do all/everything in your power He did everything in his power to find us somewhere to live. country with influence ADJ. great, major | world | foreign | allied, enemy | occupying | victorious | European, Western, etc. major European powers such as France and Germany | colonial, industrial, naval force ADJ. great | destructive, terrible the destructive power of a hurricane energy ADJ. full The plane was still climbing at full power. | reduced The transmitter is operating on reduced power. | electric, electrical, hydroelectric, nuclear, solar, steam, tidal, water, wind VERB + POWER generate, produce They use these streams to generate power for the mill. | provide (sb/sth with), supply (sb/sth with) This wheel provides the power to the cutting machine. | use | harness | turn on | cut off, turn off POWER + VERB drive sth Wind power is used to drive the machinery. POWER + NOUN cable, line, point, supply | tool DIY grew in popularity with the advent of power tools. | plant, station | worker | cut, failure PREP. ~ for supplying power for the grinding process PHRASES a source of power
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
3
general::
power
verbs
have power
• People who have power never seem to use it to help others.
get/gain power
• Women were trying to gain power in a male-dominated world.
use your power
( also exercise (your) power formal )
• The party will use all its power and influence to raise the issue in the Senate. • Questions have been asked about the way the police exercised their power.
wield power
formal (= use power - used when someone has a lot of power )
• The Church still wields enormous power in the country.
adjectives
great/huge/enormous
• The central banks have huge power.
limited
• The king's power was limited.
political/economic/military power
• countries with little economic power
absolute power
(= total power, with no limits )
• Parents had absolute power over children in those days.
unbridled power
(= without any controls )
• Certain wealthy men exercised unbridled power.
real power
• The real power lay with the President’s advisers.
phrases
a power struggle
(= a situation in which groups or leaders try to get control )
• The country is locked in a power struggle between forces favouring and opposing change.
the balance of power
• There has been a shift in the balance of power between the two countries.
a position of power
(= a job or role that gives someone power )
• Many of them were using their positions of power for personal advantage.
an abuse of power
(= a wrong or unfair use of power )
• This cover-up is a scandalous abuse of power.
power 2
verbs
be in power
• The law was passed when the Democrats were in power.
come to power
(= start being in control )
• Tony Blair came to power in 1997.
take power
(= start being in control, usually without an election )
• Many people fled after the military took power last September.
seize power
(= take power by force )
• His son seized power in a military coup.
assume power
formal (= take power )
• He assumed power after the assassination of the former president.
win power
(= win an election )
• The Prime Minister is facing his toughest challenge since winning power.
rise to power
• The Roman emperor Vespasian rose to power through command of an army.
return/be returned to power
(= start being in control again, usually after an election )
• The party was returned to power with a reduced majority.
hold power
(= be in power )
• Economic disaster befell the country during the decade when he held power.
restore somebody to power
(= put someone in control of a country again )
• In 2004, the army restored him to power.
sweep to power
(= win an election easily )
• Reagan swept to power by promising reforms.
cling to power
(= not lose it, or try not to lose it )
• Mao Tse-tung, the leader of the 1949 Communist revolution, clung to power for 27 years.
phrases
sb’s rise to power
• The programme examines Saddam Hussein’s rise to power.
sb’s return to power
• Churchill’s return to power had an immediate effect upon Anglo-American relations.
power 3
adjectives
mental powers
• Is it possible to enhance your mental powers?
creative powers
• A music teacher should have a real interest in developing children’s creative powers.
healing powers
• The water was supposed to have healing powers.
magical/special/miraculous powers
• Diamonds were once thought to have magical powers.
phrases
the power of speech
• I was so surprised that I momentarily lost the power of speech.
the power of flight
• Some birds have lost the power of flight over millions of years.
be at the height of your powers
(= be at a time in your life when your abilities are strongest )
• Fonteyn was still at the height of her powers as a dancer.
verbs
lose a power
• He was a brilliant speaker, who never lost the power to influence people.
sb’s powers are failing/waning
(= becoming less good )
• Mark felt that his creative powers were waning.
power 4
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + power
nuclear power
• The accident raised doubts about the safety of nuclear power.
solar power
(= energy produced by sunlight )
• They use solar power for all their heating.
wind power
(= energy produced by the wind )
• Is wind power the answer to the energy crisis?
wave power
(= energy produced by waves in the sea )
• Wave power can be used to generate electricity.
hydroelectric power
(= energy produced by flowing water )
• The factory is run on hydroelectric power.
steam power
(= energy produced from steam )
• Early engines were driven by steam power.
a source of power
• One problem is their reliance on coal as the main source of power.
power 5
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + power
a great power
• Britain wanted to maintain her status as a great power.
a major power
(= very important one )
• There will be representatives from all the world's major powers at the conference.
a world power
(= one with influence all over the world )
• The United States had replaced Great Britain as the dominant world power.
a military/naval power
(= with a very strong army or navy )
• Russia had become a naval power equal to Spain.
a foreign power
• He was charged with spying for a foreign power.
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