Meanings
plural power laws
- mathematicsA mathematical relationship in which the magnitude of something is proportional to a fixed power of the magnitude of something else (i.e. the relationship takes the form f(x)=axᵏ).First known use 20th c.
the death toll from a large number of small civil wars is lower than that from a few big interstate wars, to say nothing of world wars, consistent with the power-law distribution of deadly quarrels.
2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 314
Synonyms & antonyms
noun(psychophysics) the concept that the magnitude of a subjective sensation increases proportional to a power of the stimulus intensity
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Czech mocninný zákon
- mocninný zákonmathematical relationship
Finnish potenssilaki
- potenssilakimathematical relationship
German Potenzgesetz
- Potenzgesetzmathematical relationship
Russian степенная зави́симость, степенной зако́н
- степенная зави́симость (stepennaja zavísimostʹ)mathematical relationship
- степенной зако́н (stepennoj zakón)mathematical relationship
- степенная фу́нкция (stepennaja fúnkcija)mathematical relationship
Cite this entry
power law. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/power%20law
“power law.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/power%20law. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “power law,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/power%20law.
Source: power law on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.