Power vs. Force — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Maham Liaqat — Updated on March 12, 2024
Power involves the ability to influence or control without exerting force, relying on authority or innate capability; force, however, implies physical strength or coercion, often external and direct.
Difference Between Power and Force
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Power is about having the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events through authority, knowledge, or skill. Whereas force refers to the use of physical strength, coercion, or compulsion to achieve an outcome.
Power can manifest in leadership, persuasion, or intellectual influence, where the influence is more about guiding than compelling. Force often involves overcoming resistance through physical means or by imposing will, usually in a more direct and less voluntary manner for those on the receiving end.
Power often operates on a psychological level, utilizing aspects of human behavior such as respect, admiration, or the desire to comply with someone who is seen as an authority figure or who possesses superior knowledge or skills. On the other hand, force is typically more about physical interactions or actions that compel compliance or change, without necessarily considering the will or cooperation of the other party.
Power can be seen as a more sustainable way to achieve goals, as it tends to foster cooperation and willing participation. It's built on foundations like trust, respect, and legitimacy, which can lead to more enduring and less contentious relationships. Conversely, the use of force can lead to resistance, resentment, and a breakdown in relationships. It may achieve short-term goals but often at the cost of long-term stability and loyalty.
Comparison Chart
Basis
Authority, influence, skill
Physical strength, coercion
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Nature
Psychological, non-coercive
Physical, coercive
Sustainability
Sustainable through voluntary compliance
Less sustainable, may provoke resistance
Relationship
Builds on trust and respect
May damage relationships
Application
Leadership, persuasion, intellectual influence
Physical action, compulsion
Compare with Definitions
Power
Authority granted by a position or role.
As CEO, his power within the company is significant.
Force
A group organized for military purposes.
The peacekeeping force was deployed to the region.
Power
The ability to influence others' actions, beliefs, or emotions.
Through her charisma, she had the power to motivate the team.
Force
Natural phenomena exerting physical power.
The force of the hurricane devastated the coastal town.
Power
A source of influence or authority.
The power of the media is evident in shaping public opinion.
Force
Coercion or compulsion to act in a certain way.
The law was implemented by force to ensure compliance.
Power
Capacity or ability derived from skill or knowledge.
Her extensive experience gives her the power to solve complex problems.
Force
Influence exerted to cause change.
Her argument carried enough force to change his mind.
Power
Energy or force as a physical concept.
The power generated by the wind turbines supplies the entire town.
Force
Physical strength or energy applied to an object.
He used all his force to open the stuck door.
Power
The ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way
His powers of concentration
The power of speech
I will do everything in my power to help you
Force
In physics, a force is any influence that, when unopposed, will change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (which includes to begin moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate.
Power
The capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events
She had me in her power
A political process that offers people power over their own lives
Force
Strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or movement
He was thrown backwards by the force of the explosion
Power
Physical strength and force exerted by something or someone
The lyrical power of his prose
The power of the storm
Force
Coercion or compulsion, especially with the use or threat of violence
They ruled by law and not by force
Power
Energy that is produced by mechanical, electrical, or other means and used to operate a device
Generating power from waste
Power cables
Force
Mental or moral strength or power
The force of popular opinion
Power
The rate of doing work, measured in watts or less frequently horse power.
Force
An organized body of military personnel or police
A British peacekeeping force
Power
The product obtained when a number is multiplied by itself a certain number of times
2 to the power of 4 equals 16
Force
A waterfall.
Power
A large number or amount of something
There's a power of difference between farming now and when I was a lad
Force
Make a way through or into by physical strength; break open by force
The back door of the bank was forced
Power
Supply (a device) with mechanical or electrical energy
A nuclear-powered submarine
The car is powered by a fuel-injected 3.0-litre engine
Force
Make (someone) do something against their will
The universities were forced to cut staff
She was forced into early retirement
Power
Move or travel with great speed or force
He powered round a bend
Force
The capacity to do work or cause physical change; energy, strength, or active power
The force of an explosion.
Power
The ability or capacity to act or do something effectively
Is it in your power to undo this injustice?.
Force
Power made operative against resistance; exertion
Use force in driving a nail.
Power
Often powers A specific capacity, faculty, or aptitude
Her powers of concentration.
Force
The use of physical power or violence to compel or restrain
A confession obtained by force.
Power
Physical strength or force exerted or capable of being exerted
The power of the waves.
Force
Intellectual power or vigor, especially as conveyed in writing or speech.
Power
Effectiveness at moving one's emotions or changing how one thinks
A novel of great power.
Force
Moral strength.
Power
The ability or official capacity to exercise control; authority
How long has that party been in power?.
Force
A capacity for affecting the mind or behavior; efficacy
The force of logical argumentation.
Power
The military strength or economic or political influence of a nation or other group
That country projects its power throughout the region.
Force
One that possesses such capacity
The forces of evil.
Power
A country, nation, or other political unit having great influence or control over others
The western powers.
Force
A body of persons or other resources organized or available for a certain purpose
A large labor force.
Power
A supernatural being
The powers of evil.
Force
A person or group capable of influential action
A retired senator who is still a force in national politics.
Power
Powers(Christianity) The sixth of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology.
Force
Military strength.
Power
The energy or motive force by which a physical system or machine is operated
Turbines turned by steam power.
A sailing ship driven by wind power.
Force
A unit of a nation's military personnel, especially one deployed into combat
Our armed forces have at last engaged the enemy.
Power
The capacity of a system or machine to operate
A vehicle that runs under its own power.
Force
A vector quantity indicating the strength and direction of the capacity to accelerate a body. Newton's second law of motion states that a free body accelerates in the direction of the net force and that its acceleration is directly proportional to the force and inversely proportional to its mass.
Power
Electrical or mechanical energy, especially as used to assist or replace human energy.
Force
See fundamental force.
Power
Electricity supplied to a home, building, or community
A storm that cut off power to the whole region.
Force
(Baseball) A force play.
Power
(Physics) The rate at which work is done, expressed as the amount of work per unit time and commonly measured in units such as the watt and horsepower.
Force
To compel through pressure or necessity
I forced myself to practice daily. He was forced to take a second job.
Power
The product of applied potential difference and current in a direct-current circuit.
Force
To gain by the use of force or coercion
Force a confession.
Power
The product of the effective values of the voltage and current with the cosine of the phase angle between current and voltage in an alternating-current circuit.
Force
To move or effect against resistance or inertia
Forced my foot into the shoe.
Power
See exponent.
Force
To inflict or impose relentlessly
He forced his ideas upon the group.
Power
The number of elements in a finite set.
Force
To put undue strain on
She forced her voice despite being hoarse.
Power
(Statistics) In a statistical test, the probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis when it is false.
Force
To increase or accelerate (a pace, for example) to the maximum.
Power
A measure of the magnification of an optical instrument, such as a microscope or telescope.
Force
To produce with effort and against one's will
Force a laugh in spite of pain.
Power
Chiefly Upper Southern US A large number or amount. See Note at powerful.
Force
To use (language) with obvious lack of ease and naturalness.
Power
(Archaic) An armed force.
Force
To move, open, or clear by force
Forced our way through the crowd.
Power
Of or relating to political, social, or economic control
A power struggle.
A power base.
Force
To break down or open by force
Force a lock.
Power
Operated with mechanical or electrical energy in place of bodily exertion
A power tool.
Power car windows.
Force
To rape.
Power
Of or relating to the generation or transmission of electricity
Power companies.
Power lines.
Force
To induce change in (a complex system) by changing one of its parameters
Greenhouse gases that force the earth's climate.
Power
(Informal) Of or relating to influential business or professional practices
A pinstriped suit with a power tie.
Met with high-level executives at a power breakfast.
Force
(Botany) To cause to grow or mature by artificially accelerating normal processes.
Power
To supply with power, especially mechanical or electrical power.
Force
To put (a runner) out on a force play.
Power
The ability to do or undergo something.
Force
To allow (a run) to be scored by walking a batter when the bases are loaded.
Power
(social) The ability to coerce, influence, or control.
Force
(Games) To cause an opponent to play (a particular card).
Power
(countable) The ability to affect or influence.
Force
Strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect.
The force of an appeal, an argument, or a contract
Power
Control or coercion, particularly legal or political (jurisdiction).
Force
Power exerted against will or consent; compulsory power; violence; coercion.
Power
The people in charge of legal or political power, the government.
Force
(countable) Anything that is able to make a substantial change in a person or thing.
Power
(metonymically) An influential nation, company, or other such body.
Force
A physical quantity that denotes ability to push, pull, twist or accelerate a body and which has a direction and is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance/time² (ML/T²): SI: newton (N); CGS: dyne (dyn)
Power
An army, a military force.
Force
Something or anything that has the power to produce a physical effect upon something else, such as causing it to move or change shape.
Power
Effectiveness.
Force
(countable) A group that aims to attack, control, or constrain.
Reinforcemented increased the American force in the area to 9,000
Police force
Power
Physical force or strength.
He needed a lot of power to hit the ball out of the stadium.
Force
(uncountable) The ability to attack, control, or constrain.
Show of force
Power
Electricity or a supply of electricity.
After the pylons collapsed, this town was without power for a few days.
Force
(countable) A magic trick in which the outcome is known to the magician beforehand, especially one involving the apparent free choice of a card by another person.
Power
A measure of the rate of doing work or transferring energy.
Force
(legal) Legal validity.
The law will come into force in January.
Power
The strength by which a lens or mirror magnifies an optical image.
We need a microscope with higher power.
Force
(legal) Either unlawful violence, as in a "forced entry", or lawful compulsion.
Power
A large amount or number.
Force
Ability of an utterance or its element (word, form, prosody, ...) to effect a given meaning.
Power
Any of the elementary forms or parts of machines: three primary (the lever, inclined plane, and pulley) and three secondary (the wheel-and-axle, wedge, and screw).
The mechanical powers
Force
|often|capitalized}}Star Wars A metaphysical and ubiquitous power from the fictional Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. See usage note.
Power
A measure of the effectiveness that a force producing a physical effect has over time. If linear, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the displacement of or in an object) ÷ time. If rotational, the quotient of: (force multiplied by the angle of displacement) ÷ time.
Force
Synonym of police force
Power
(mathematics)
Force
A waterfall or cascade.
Power
A product of equal factors (and generalizations of this notion): , read as " to the power of " or the like, is called a power and denotes the product , where appears times in the product; is called the base and the exponent.
Force
(transitive) To violate (a woman); to rape.
Power
(set theory) Cardinality.
Force
To exert oneself, to do one's utmost.
Power
(statistics) The probability that a statistical test will reject the null hypothesis when the alternative hypothesis is true.
Force
(transitive) To compel (someone or something) to do something.
Power
In Christian angelology, an intermediate level of angels, ranked above archangels, but exact position varies by classification scheme.
Force
(transitive) To constrain by force; to overcome the limitations or resistance of.
Power
(transitive) To provide power for (a mechanical or electronic device).
This CD player is powered by batteries.
Force
(transitive) To drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb).
Power
(transitive) To hit or kick something forcefully.
Force
(transitive) To cause to occur (despite inertia, resistance etc.); to produce through force.
The comedian's jokes weren't funny, but I forced a laugh now and then.
Power
To enable or provide the impetus for.
Force
(transitive) To forcibly open (a door, lock etc.).
To force a lock.
Power
Impressive.
Force
To obtain or win by strength; to take by violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm, as a fortress.
Power
Same as Poor, the fish.
Force
To create an out by touching a base in advance of a runner who has no base to return to while in possession of a ball which has already touched the ground.
Jones forced the runner at second by stepping on the bag.
Power
Ability to act, regarded as latent or inherent; the faculty of doing or performing something; capacity for action or performance; capability of producing an effect, whether physical or moral: potency; might; as, a man of great power; the power of capillary attraction; money gives power.
Force
(whist) To compel (an adversary or partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit that he/she does not hold.
Power
Ability, regarded as put forth or exerted; strength, force, or energy in action; as, the power of steam in moving an engine; the power of truth, or of argument, in producing conviction; the power of enthusiasm.
Force
(archaic) To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce.
Power
Capacity of undergoing or suffering; fitness to be acted upon; susceptibility; - called also passive power; as, great power of endurance.
Power, then, is active and passive; faculty is active power or capacity; capacity is passive power.
Force
(archaic) To provide with forces; to reinforce; to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison.
Power
The exercise of a faculty; the employment of strength; the exercise of any kind of control; influence; dominion; sway; command; government.
Power is no blessing in itself but when it is employed to protect the innocent.
Force
(obsolete) To allow the force of; to value; to care for.
Power
The agent exercising an ability to act; an individual invested with authority; an institution, or government, which exercises control; as, the great powers of Europe; hence, often, a superhuman agent; a spirit; a divinity.
And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
Force
To stuff; to lard; to farce.
Power
A military or naval force; an army or navy; a great host.
Never such a power . . . Was levied in the body of a land.
Force
To stuff; to lard; to farce.
Wit larded with malice, and malice forced with wit.
Power
A large quantity; a great number; as, a power o good things.
Force
To constrain to do or to forbear, by the exertion of a power not resistible; to compel by physical, moral, or intellectual means; to coerce; as, masters force slaves to labor.
Power
The rate at which mechanical energy is exerted or mechanical work performed, as by an engine or other machine, or an animal, working continuously; as, an engine of twenty horse power.
Force
To compel, as by strength of evidence; as, to force conviction on the mind.
Power
A mechanical agent; that from which useful mechanical energy is derived; as, water power; steam power; hand power, etc.
Force
To do violence to; to overpower, or to compel by violence to one's will; especially, to ravish; to violate; to commit rape upon.
To force their monarch and insult the court.
I should have forced thee soon wish other arms.
To force a spotless virgin's chastity.
Power
The product arising from the multiplication of a number into itself; as, a square is the second power, and a cube is third power, of a number.
Force
To obtain, overcome, or win by strength; to take by violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm, as a fortress; as, to force the castle; to force a lock.
Power
A machine acted upon by an animal, and serving as a motor to drive other machinery; as, a dog power.
Force
To impel, drive, wrest, extort, get, etc., by main strength or violence; - with a following adverb, as along, away, from, into, through, out, etc.
It stuck so fast, so deeply buried layThat scarce the victor forced the steel away.
To force the tyrant from his seat by war.
Ethelbert ordered that none should be forced into religion.
Power
Mental or moral ability to act; one of the faculties which are possessed by the mind or soul; as, the power of thinking, reasoning, judging, willing, fearing, hoping, etc.
The guiltiness of my mind, the sudden surprise of my powers, drove the grossness . . . into a received belief.
Force
To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce.
What can the church force more?
Power
The degree to which a lens, mirror, or any optical instrument, magnifies; in the telescope, and usually in the microscope, the number of times it multiplies, or augments, the apparent diameter of an object; sometimes, in microscopes, the number of times it multiplies the apparent surface.
Force
To exert to the utmost; to urge; hence, to strain; to urge to excessive, unnatural, or untimely action; to produce by unnatural effort; as, to force a conceit or metaphor; to force a laugh; to force fruits.
High on a mounting wave my head I bore,Forcing my strength, and gathering to the shore.
Power
An authority enabling a person to dispose of an interest vested either in himself or in another person; ownership by appointment.
Force
To compel (an adversary or partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit of which he has none.
Power
Hence, vested authority to act in a given case; as, the business was referred to a committee with power.
Force
To provide with forces; to reënforce; to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison.
Power
Possession of controlling influence;
The deterrent power of nuclear weapons
The power of his love saved her
His powerfulness was concealed by a gentle facade
Force
To allow the force of; to value; to care for.
For me, I force not argument a straw.
Power
(physics) the rate of doing work; measured in watts (= joules/second)
Force
To use violence; to make violent effort; to strive; to endeavor.
Forcing with gifts to win his wanton heart.
Power
Possession of the qualities (especially mental qualities) required to do something or get something done;
Danger heightened his powers of discrimination
Force
To make a difficult matter of anything; to labor; to hesitate; hence, to force of, to make much account of; to regard.
Your oath once broke, you force not to forswear.
I force not of such fooleries.
Power
A state powerful enough to influence events throughout the world
Force
To be of force, importance, or weight; to matter.
It is not sufficient to have attained the name and dignity of a shepherd, not forcing how.
Power
(of a government or government official) holding an office means being in power;
Being in office already gives a candidate a great advantage
During his first year in office
During his first year in power
The power of the president
Force
A waterfall; a cascade.
To see the falls for force of the river Kent.
Power
One possessing or exercising power or influence or authority;
The mysterious presence of an evil power
May the force be with you
The forces of evil
Force
Capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigor; might; often, an unusual degree of strength or energy; especially, power to persuade, or convince, or impose obligation; pertinency; validity; special signification; as, the force of an appeal, an argument, a contract, or a term.
He was, in the full force of the words, a good man.
Power
Physical strength
Force
Power exerted against will or consent; compulsory power; violence; coercion; as, by force of arms; to take by force.
Which now they hold by force, and not by right.
Power
A mathematical notation indicating the number of times a quantity is multiplied by itself
Force
Strength or power for war; hence, a body of land or naval combatants, with their appurtenances, ready for action; - an armament; troops; warlike array; - often in the plural; hence, a body of men prepared for action in other ways; as, the laboring force of a plantation; the armed forces.
Is Lucius general of the forces?
Power
A very wealthy or powerful businessman;
An oil baron
Force
Strength or power exercised without law, or contrary to law, upon persons or things; violence.
Power
Supply the force or power for the functioning of;
The gasoline powers the engines
Force
Any action between two bodies which changes, or tends to change, their relative condition as to rest or motion; or, more generally, which changes, or tends to change, any physical relation between them, whether mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical, magnetic, or of any other kind; as, the force of gravity; cohesive force; centrifugal force.
Thy tears are of no force to mollifyThis flinty man.
More huge in strength than wise in works he was.
Adam and first matron EveHad ended now their orisons, and foundStrength added from above, new hope to springOut of despair.
Force
A unit that is part of some military service;
He sent Caesar a force of six thousand men
Force
One possessing or exercising power or influence or authority;
The mysterious presence of an evil power
May the force be with you
The forces of evil
Force
(physics) the influence that produces a change in a physical quantity;
Force equals mass times acceleration
Force
Group of people willing to obey orders;
A public force is necessary to give security to the rights of citizens
Force
A powerful effect or influence;
The force of his eloquence easily persuaded them
Force
An act of aggression (as one against a person who resists);
He may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one
Force
Physical energy or intensity;
He hit with all the force he could muster
It was destroyed by the strength of the gale
A government has not the vitality and forcefulness of a living man
Force
A group of people having the power of effective action;
He joined forces with a band of adventurers
Force
(of a law) having legal validity;
The law is still in effect
Force
To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :
She forced him to take a job in the city
He squeezed her for information
Force
Urge or force (a person) to an action; constrain or motivate
Force
Move with force,
He pushed the table into a corner
Force
Impose or thrust urgently, importunately, or inexorably;
She forced her diet fads on him
Force
Squeeze like a wedge into a tight space;
I squeezed myself into the corner
Force
Force into or from an action or state, either physically or metaphorically;
She rammed her mind into focus
He drives me mad
Force
Do forcibly; exert force;
Don't force it!
Force
Cause to move along the ground by pulling;
Draw a wagon
Pull a sled
Force
Take by force;
Storm the fort
Common Curiosities
What is force?
Force refers to the use of physical strength or coercion to achieve an outcome.
Can power be positive?
Yes, power can be a positive force when it fosters voluntary cooperation and is based on respect or skill.
What is power?
Power is the capacity to influence others through authority, knowledge, or skill.
Is force always negative?
While often viewed negatively due to its coercive nature, force can be necessary in certain contexts, such as law enforcement.
How is power sustained?
Power is sustained through legitimacy, trust, and willing compliance from those influenced.
Can power exist without force?
Yes, power can exist without force, as it can be based on authority, knowledge, or influence rather than coercion.
How do leaders use power effectively?
Effective leaders use power by inspiring, guiding, and influencing others towards shared goals.
What are the ethical considerations of using power?
Ethically using power involves considering the impact on others, ensuring it's used for positive outcomes and not for exploitation.
How does power differ from force?
Power relies on influence and authority without coercion, while force involves direct physical strength or compulsion.
How does one acquire power?
Power can be acquired through various means, including through position, personal qualities, knowledge, or skill.
How can one resist undue force or power?
Resisting undue force or power involves asserting one's rights, seeking support from others, and using legal or social means to challenge abuses.
What are the consequences of using force?
Using force can lead to resistance, resentment, and potentially damage relationships.
Is force more effective than power?
Force might achieve immediate goals, but power is often more effective for long-term influence and cooperation.
What role does persuasion play in power?
Persuasion is a key aspect of power, as it involves influencing others without coercion, relying on argument, appeal, or incentive.
Can force be justified?
Force can be justified in situations where it's necessary to protect safety or enforce laws, but it must be proportionate and lawful.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
