impotence
UK: /ˈɪmpətəns/ | US: /ˈɪmpətəns/
n. inability to take effective action; helplessness
n. (medical) inability to achieve or sustain an erection
impotence = im<not> + pot<power> + ence<noun suffix>
- im<not>: Latin prefix in- (negation), assimilated as im- before p.
- pot<power>: From Latin potis (able, powerful), root of potentia (power).
- ence<noun suffix>: Latin -entia, denoting state or quality.
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin impotentia ("lack of power"), combining in- (not) + potentia (power). It entered Middle English via Old French, initially describing general weakness or incapacity. By the 17th century, it specialized in medical contexts to denote erectile dysfunction, reflecting societal associations between power and virility. The morphemes vividly contrast ability (pot) and its absence (im-).
The king’s impotence in the crisis weakened public trust.
Modern medicine offers solutions for erectile impotence.
Political impotence often stems from bureaucratic delays.
His impotence to change the situation frustrated him deeply.
The documentary explored the psychological causes of impotence.