For other types of power, see Power (disambiguation).
Power can be described as the capacity of an individual or a group (which may lie dormant) to exert their will over another or others (French and Raven, 2001) or influence the goals of a relationship. Power is not a characteristic of any one individual, rather, it is defined in terms of relationships and transactions between people. Power is crucial to the achievement of individual goals, the resolution of conflicts, and to communication competency within a group. Power can be understood within two basic dimensions, a content dimension and a relational dimension. The content dimension lends the understanding of what is being said and the relational dimension shows the meaning behind the words and how power is transmitted throughout. Power is not dichotomous. No one person is entirely powerless or powerful in any relationship or position. Power is constantly switching hands within a conversation or relationship. Different ways that people give up their power, whether intentionally or unintentionally, are by being overly polite, backing down from an argument, using a title (such as Doctor or Professor) when addressing another, allowing interruptions when speaking, and clothing choice.