impuissance
UK: ɪmˈpjuːɪsəns | US: ɪmˈpjuːɪsəns
n. weakness or powerlessness; inability to take effective action
The word impuissance entered English in the late Middle Ages via Old French, combining the negative prefix im- with puissance (power). It reflects a direct borrowing from French legal and literary contexts, where it described a lack of authority or capability. The Latin root potentia underscores its connection to strength and control, making impuissance a vivid term for powerlessness.
The king’s impuissance in the face of rebellion led to his downfall.
She felt a sense of impuissance when her suggestions were repeatedly ignored.
The treaty exposed the impuissance of the small nation against its aggressive neighbors.
His physical impuissance after the illness made even simple tasks difficult.
The committee’s impuissance to enforce the rules frustrated its members.