impotently

comparative more impotently · superlative most impotently

1. In an impotent manner.

   Yet in every such instance—and there are scores of them—the Justices can do nothing but impotently point toward future action after Yessing or Noing past action by men in a position to act.

   1955, Fred Rodell, “Powerful, Irresponsible, and Human”, in Nine Men: A Political History of the Supreme Court from 1790 to 1955, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 12