pŏtentĭa, ae, f. [potens], might, force, power.
I Lit. (class.; cf.: potestas, opes): armorum tenendorum potentia, Liv. 21, 54 fin. : potentia solis Acrior, Verg. G. 1, 92: ventosa, Ov. Am. 2, 16, 27: formae, id. M. 10, 573: morbi, id. ib. 7, 537: occulti miranda potentia fati, Juv. 7, 200.—
B Transf., efficacy , virtue (poet. and in postAug. prose): herbarum, Ov. M. 1, 522: dictamni, Plin. 25, 8, 53, § 94: potentia achatae contra scorpiones, id. 37, 10, 54, § 142: aquarum, id. 31, 1, 1, § 1.—
II Trop.
A In gen., ability , faculty , capacity (post-class.): supra humanam potentiam magnitudine animi praeditus, Just. 12, 16, 1: facultas videndi, Cels. 7, 7, 13 fin. : audiendi, id. 7, 8: loquendi, id. 7, 12, 4.—
B Political power , authority , sway , influence (class.): potentia est ad sua conservanda et alterius obtinenda idonearum rerum facultas, Cic. Inv. 2, 56, 169: postquam divitiae honori esse coeperunt, et eas gloria, imperium, potentia sequebatur, Sall. C. 12, 1; Caes. B. G. 6, 14: erant in magnā potentiā, qui consulebantur, were in great authority , Cic. Mur. 11, 25: potentiam alicujus criminari, id. Mil. 5, 12: singularis, the rule of an individual , monarchical power , Nep. Dion, 9, 5: rerum, supreme dominion , sovereignty , Ov. M. 2, 259.—In plur.: contra periculosissimas hominum potentias, Cic. Cael. 9, 22.—
III In abl.: potentiā, virtually , Boethius, Analyt. Post. 1, 24.