Impotent
/ˈɪm.pə.tənt/noun
Lacking power, strength, or ability; especially unable to achieve a desired effect.
Did you know?It comes from Latin *impotens*, which could mean not only “powerless” but also “uncontrolled” or “unruly,” so the word once carried a darker sense of inner force gone wild.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to protect, shepherd, feed”
Latin
Latin
potis
“able, powerful, capable”
Latin
Latin
impotens
“powerless; unable to control oneself”
Middle English
English
impotent
“weak, powerless, lacking force”
Modern English
English
impotent
“lacking power or ability; especially sexually incapable”
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