Definition

Noun: - Power, authority: The legitimate or official right to command, make decisions, and enforce obedience within a specific domain, such as a government, organization, or institution. It implies a formal or recognized position of control. - Influence, sway: The capacity to have a significant effect on people, events, or decisions, often stemming from position, wealth, or respect.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy nắm giữ quyền bính tối cao trong chính phủ. (He holds the supreme power in the government.)
  • Quyền bính của nhà vua là tuyệt đối trong thời phong kiến. (The king's authority was absolute in feudal times.)
  • Họ lạm dụng quyền bính để trục lợi cá nhân. (They abused their power for personal gain.)

Advanced Usage

• "nắm quyền bính": to hold power, to be in power.
  • Đảng đó đã nắm quyền bính trong nhiều thập kỷ. (That party has held power for decades.)
• "tước đoạt quyền bính": to strip/deprive of power.
  • Cuộc cách mạng đã tước đoạt quyền bính của giai cấp thống trị cũ. (The revolution stripped the old ruling class of its power.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quyền lực (noun): Power, might. Often used interchangeably with "quyền bính," but can have a broader sense including physical or coercive force.
• Quyền hành (noun): Authority, power of office. Very close in meaning to "quyền bính," emphasizing the power associated with a specific position or function.
• Bính quyền (noun): A less common, inverted form with the same meaning (power).

Synonyms

• Thế lực: Force, influence (often implying a powerful faction or group).
• Uy quyền: Prestige and power, authority (emphasizing dignity and commanding respect).
• Ảnh hưởng: Influence (broader, not necessarily tied to official position).

Notes on Meaning

This is a formal and somewhat literary term, often used in political, historical, or administrative contexts. It carries a connotation of legitimate or institutionalized power, as opposed to raw force ("bạo lực"). The word is a Sino-Vietnamese compound: "quyền" (right, authority) + "bính" (a handle, grip → metaphor for control).

noun

1. power, influence