different between serviceable vs potent

English

Etymology

From Middle English servisable, from Old French servisable, from servise; surface analysis service +? -able.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s?v?s?bl?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??v?s?bl?/

Adjective

serviceable (comparative more serviceable, superlative most serviceable)

1. Easy to service.
2. Repairable instead of disposable.
3. In condition for use; usable, functional.
   • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

     I employed myself in making, as well as I could, a great many baskets, both to carry earth or to carry or lay up anything, as I had occasion; and though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them sufficiently serviceable for my purpose...

   • There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

Synonyms

• useful
• helpful

Translations

Anagrams

• receivables

English

Etymology

From Middle English potent, borrowed from Latin potens, potentis (“powerful, strong, potent”), present participle of posse (“to be able”), from potis (“able, powerful, originally a lord, master”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??t(?)nt/
• (General American) enPR: p?t?nt IPA^(key): /?po?t(?)nt/, [?p?o???n?t], [-n??]
• Rhymes: -??t?nt
• Hyphenation: po?tent

Adjective

potent (comparative more potent, superlative most potent)

1. Possessing strength.

   • Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.

2. Powerfully effective.

3. Having a sharp or offensive taste.
4. (of a male) Able to procreate.
5. Very powerful or effective.

Translations

Noun

potent (plural potents)

1. (obsolete) A prince; a potentate.
2. (obsolete) A staff or crutch.
3. (heraldry) A heraldic fur formed by a regular tessellation of blue and white T shapes.

Antonyms

• impotent
• (heraldry): counterpotent

Derived terms

• idempotent
• nilpotent
• omnipotent
• pluripotent
• unipotent
• ventripotent
• equipotent

Related terms

• potence
• potency
• potentate
• potential
• potentiality
• potentiate
• potenty, potente

Further reading

• potent in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• potent in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• nettop, top ten

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin potens, potentem.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /po?tent/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /pu?ten/

Adjective

potent (masculine and feminine plural potents)

1. powerful
2. potent (capable of sexual intercourse)

Further reading

• “potent” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Dutch

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin potens. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /po??t?nt/
• Hyphenation: po?tent
• Rhymes: -?nt

Adjective

potent (not comparable)

1. (of males) capable of procreation, potent

Inflection

Antonyms

• impotent

Related terms

• potentaat
• potentiaal
• potentie
• potentieel

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /po?t?nt/

Adjective

potent (comparative potenter, superlative am potentsten)

1. potent

Declension

Derived terms

• impotent
• präpotent

Latin

Verb

p?tent

1. third-person plural present active subjunctive of p?t?

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin potens, potentem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /po?tent/

Adjective

potent m or n (feminine singular potent?, masculine plural poten?i, feminine and neuter plural potente)

1. (literary) potent, strong, vigorous, virile

Declension

Related terms

• puternic
• poten??
• putin??
• putea
• putere

Swedish

Adjective

potent

1. potent, being effective in small quantities.

Declension

Related terms

• potens
• potential