potens

Potens is a Latin adjective and present active participle meaning able, powerful, or capable. It is formed from the verb posse, “to be able,” and is used to describe a person or thing that has ability or strength. In classical Latin, potens could function as an attributive or predicate adjective and could also be used substantively in appropriate contexts to mean “the powerful one” or “the capable one.”

Etymology and linguistic usage help explain its influence on modern language. The word Potens derives from the Latin root associated with power and capability and is the source of several English cognates and derivatives, including potent, potency, and potential. In English, these terms retain the sense of power, capability, or potentiality that lies in the Latin root. The form potens likewise appears in Latin liturgy, inscriptions, and scholarly texts, often encountered in phrases that emphasize power or ability.

Modern usage and influence. While potens itself is mainly of interest in Latin studies, its impact is felt through the family of words built from the same root, which appear across science, philosophy, and everyday language. In taxonomy and scientific naming, Latin adjectives such as potens may serve as species epithets, aligning with the tradition of Latinizing descriptors in binomial nomenclature.

See also: potent, potency, potential, potency in philosophy and science.