Etymologically
Log in

firepower

History Permalink

Etymology and origin of the English word firepower

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1662 J. Sparrow, translation of J. Böhme, Of Four Complexions
Ultimate origins
Proto-Germanic *fuirAnglo-Norman poer
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
Old English fyr
English fire
English firepower
From the same root
English firearm ← fire
English firefighter ← fire
English fireplace ← fire
English firewall ← fire
English wildfire ← fire

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈfaɪəˌpaʊə(r)/, /ˈfaəˌpaə(r)/[1]
  • US: /ˈfaɪɚˌpaʊɚ/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English fire + power.[2][3][4] The OED's first two records are translations from German: in 1662, of Jakob Böhme, and in 1871, of a military work, where it renders German Feuerkraft.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In religious or mystical writing, the force or energy attributed to fire, and also a being that embodies it: 1662, in John Sparrow's translation of Böhme's Of Four Complexions.[2]

Semantic evolution

The military sense, the destructive capacity of a force's guns and missiles, appeared in 1871, in a translation from German.[2] Etymonline dates "effectiveness of military fire" to 1891,[3] Merriam-Webster to 1913[5] and Dictionary.com to 1910–15.[4] From the mid-20th century the word was used figuratively of strength of any kind, financial, intellectual or emotional (1945),[2][5] and in sport of a team's or player's ability to attack and score (1950).[2][5][6] The mystical sense survives in New Age writing.[2]

Timeline

  • 1662 – the force or energy of fire, in mystical writing.[2]
  • 1871 – the destructive capacity of a military force's weapons.[2] Etymonline dates the military sense to 1891, and Merriam-Webster to 1913.[3][5]
  • 1945 – figurative, strength or resources of any kind.[2]
  • 1950 – in sport, attacking or scoring ability.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. The capacity of a weapon, unit, ship or army to deliver effective fire on a target; the total of shells and missiles it can bring to bear.[5][6][2]
  2. Effective power or force of any kind, as of money or intellect: the legal firepower of a big corporation.[5][2]
  3. In sport, the ability of a team or player to attack and score.[5][6][2]
  4. In religious, mystical or New Age contexts, the energy attributed to fire.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Firepower.” Etymologically, 1 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/en/firepower. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·