potentis

Potentis is a Latin word that functions as the genitive singular form of the adjective potens, meaning powerful or able. In Latin, potens is a present active participle used as an adjective, describing someone or something characterized by power, capability, or strength. The genitive singular form potentis is used to indicate possession or association, as in phrases meaning “of the powerful” or “of power.”

Etymology and morphology

Potens derives from a Proto-Italic root related to power and ability, giving rise to Latin terms such as potentia, meaning power or ability. The form potentis, specifically, arises in the genitive singular of the third-declension adjective potens. This form appears across literary and historical Latin to relate actions, qualities, or possessions to a powerful subject. The related forms of potens cover the full adjective paradigm (for example, potens in the nominative singular, potentem in the accusative singular, and potentes in the nominative plural), but potentis is most often encountered as a grammatical marker rather than a standalone lexical item.

Usage

In classical Latin, potentis occurs in attributive and predicative constructions, typically within noun phrases or clauses describing power, strength, or capability. It frequently appears in legal, philosophical, or rhetorical texts to indicate the source or extent of power, e.g., “potentis regis” (of the powerful king) or “vir potens” (a powerful man).

Relation to related terms

Potentis is closely linked to potentia, the abstract noun for power or potential, and to English derivatives such as potent and potential. The word exemplifies how Latin adjectives convey ownership or association through genitive forms and how the same root yields related modern terms.