power dynamic
Who dominates whom
A power dynamic is the way authority, influence, or control is distributed between people in a relationship or group.
The term often surfaces when examining imbalances: The power dynamic between boss and employee made honest feedback difficult.
Romantic relationships, families, workplaces, and institutions all have power dynamics—sometimes explicit, often unspoken.
Analyzing power dynamics means looking at who holds leverage, who defers, and how those positions shift or stay fixed.
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- chain of commandFormal authority hierarchy
- dominanceSuperior influence over others
- top dogDominant leader
- submissionYielding to another's will
control · authority · imbalance · leverage · manipulation · pulling the strings · subordinate · superior · influence · tension · coercion · obedience · resistance · privilege · oppression · struggle · punch up · negotiation
- healthcaredoctors, nurses, hospitals, hospital, clinic
- powerauthority, potency, energy, hydropower, horsepower
- therapypsychotherapy, therapist, session, counselor, group therapy
power dynamicequal partnership
Arrangement where both contribute alike
equality · egalitarianism · symmetry · parity · mutual respect
power, dynamic, powers, powered, powering, powerful, powerless, powerfully, powerlessness