Potestas

Potestas is a Latin word meaning power or faculty. It is an important concept in Roman Law.
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A Latin word which signifies power; authority; domination; empire. It has several meaning. 1. It signifies imperium, or the jurisdiction of magistrates. 2. The power of the father over his children, patriapotestas. 3. The authority of masters over their slaves, which makes it nearly synonymous with dominium.
   

This entry contains material from Bouvier's Legal Dictionary, a work published in the 1850's.

N F
power| rule| force; strength| ability; chance| opportunity