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
Synonyms
Examples of powerless in a Sentence
I wish I could help you, but I am powerless in this situation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Although young victims whose parents don’t want to press charges pose an obstacle, experts said the department was not powerless to protect the public.
—
Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
While those facts are to varying degrees true, many critics have argued that Live Nation’s claims to be powerless to fix the situation — not to mention its involvement in the secondary ticketing market — are disingenuous at best.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for powerless 
Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024
While those facts are to varying degrees true, many critics have argued that Live Nation’s claims to be powerless to fix the situation — not to mention its involvement in the secondary ticketing market — are disingenuous at best.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for powerless
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'powerless.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Powerless.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerless. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
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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