German word

Macht

Pronunciation

IPA/maxt/

Meaning

  • feminine nounpower

Example

Der Präsident hat Macht über das Land.

The president wields power over the country.

Illustration for Macht (power)

More examples

Die Partei besitzt politische Macht in der Region.

The party possesses political power in the region.

Core concept

A hand on the controls of a country, able to direct decisions and make others comply.

Common phrases

  • Macht haben

    have power

  • politische Macht

    political power

  • Macht ausüben

    exercise power

Similar words

Einfluss: The power to affect other people's choices or behavior.
Autorität: The recognized standing to issue accepted orders or instructions.
Kontrolle: The power to oversee and regulate people or processes.
Gewalt: The use of force or threats to impose compliance.

Definition in German

Macht ist die Fähigkeit, Ressourcen, Entscheidungen oder Regeln so zu kontrollieren, dass andere darauf reagieren oder sich fügen müssen.

Word origin

Macht is inherited from Old High German maht, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, and is cognate with English might.

Usage tips

  • The noun is feminine, die Macht, and common collocations include Macht haben and Macht ausueben.

Other meanings

  • forcenoun
  • mightnoun
  • influencenoun

Opposites

  • Machtlosigkeitpowerlessnessnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word