Question

impuissant adjective Both the adjective "impuissant" and the noun "impuissance" came to English from Middle French. They are derived from the prefix "in-" (meaning "not") and the noun "puissance," which means "power" and is a word in English in its own right. "Puissance" derives from the verb "poer," meaning "to be able" or "to be powerful," and is ultimately related to the same Latin roots that gave us words such as "power" and "potent." While both "puissant" and "impuissance" first appeared in English during the 15th century, "impuissant" did not make its first appearance in our language until 1629. : weak, powerless

Accepted Answer

June 13, 2008 im-PWISS-unt Jonah was a relentless bully who sought to intimidate any impuissant student that he could find in the schoolyard.

Word	impuissant
Date	June 13, 2008
Type	adjective
Syllables	im-PWISS-unt
Etymology	Both the adjective "impuissant" and the noun "impuissance" came to English from Middle French. They are derived from the prefix "in-" (meaning "not") and the noun "puissance," which means "power" and is a word in English in its own right. "Puissance" derives from the verb "poer," meaning "to be able" or "to be powerful," and is ultimately related to the same Latin roots that gave us words such as "power" and "potent." While both "puissant" and "impuissance" first appeared in English during the 15th century, "impuissant" did not make its first appearance in our language until 1629.
Examples	Jonah was a relentless bully who sought to intimidate any impuissant student that he could find in the schoolyard.
Definition	: weak, powerless

English Impuissant Adjective Noun Impuissance Power June Im Pwiss Unt