The power or strength of something, especially a drug, chemical, or influence to produce an effect.
From Latin 'potentia' meaning power or might, from 'potens' (powerful). Entered English through Old French, initially referring to political or military power before extending to medicinal and other contexts.
In pharmacology, potency is often confused with efficacy, but they're different - potency is about how much drug you need for an effect, while efficacy is about the maximum possible effect. A drug can be highly potent but have low efficacy.
Historically gendered masculine (virility, power); applied asymmetrically to women as 'potent' only in reproductive contexts, limiting scope of attribution.
Use 'effectiveness', 'strength', or 'power' depending on context to avoid gendered connotations.
["effectiveness","strength","power","capacity"]
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.