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A superpower is a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to exert influence and project power on a global scale.Although there are no formal, universally accepted criteria,superpower status is generally achieved by combining hard power (economic means, military prowess, and technology) and soft power (political persuasion, cultural influence, and diplomacy). While a great power can exert its influence globally, superpowers are the ones so impactful that no significant action can be taken by the global community without first considering their positions.In this sense, superpowers are preeminent among the great powers;more narrowly, the term may be applied in specific contexts, such as energy superpower, economic superpower, or military superpower.

The term was coined in 1944 towards the end of World War II, referring to the British Empire, the Soviet Union, and the United States.Following the fallout of the Suez Canal Crisis and a period of rapid decolonization, the British Empire saw a steep decline, leaving the United States and the Soviet Union as the preeminent superpowers of the Cold War. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States emerged as the sole dominant power across multiple domains— a position sometimes referred to as a hyperpower.

Today, scholarly discourse and public perception regarding superpower status vary widely. Some contemporary sources have described China as a superpower due to its modern military, global influence, rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, economic and manufacturing volume, though skeptics have challenged that assumption by citing its domestic challenges, such as an ageing and shrinking population, lack of skilled immigration, alongside international concerns of its soft power status due to human rights issues, lack of hard power capabilities through a global military alliance system, and the dominance of the U.S. dollar in global trade. At the same time, the perceived decline of the United States has led some to claim it is no longer a superpower, while other sources still consider it a superpower primarily due to its alliances, military capacity, soft power, and economic influence.

Beyond evaluating the superpower status of the United States and China,observers also analyzethe European Union, India, and Russia for their outsized geopolitical influence,with some regarding the developments as a transition to bipolarity or a multipolar world, divided into spheres of influence based on geographic proximity.