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Business & Workplace Languagenoun · /ˈpaʊər ˈjuːzər/

power user

In simple English

In tech workplaces, a power user is someone who has mastered a tool or platform beyond basic functionality. They understand keyboard shortcuts, advanced settings, automation features, and workarounds that most colleagues do not know. Power users are valuable assets because they can troubleshoot issues independently, train others, and provide feedback to product teams about real-world usage patterns. For example, in a company using Jira, a power user knows how to create custom workflows, write JQL queries, and set up automated transitions. They are different from administrators who have system-level access and different from developers who write code.

Understanding what makes someone a power user and how to become one in your workplace tools.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness4/5
Versatility4/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓She is a power user of Excel
✓We need a power user on this project
✓He became a power user after only two weeks

Real examples

in a standup

"The power user in our team discovered a way to automate the entire deployment pipeline using GitHub Actions."

in a code review

"Our power user flagged that we could use VS Code snippets to reduce boilerplate code by 40 percent."

in a team meeting

"We should ask the power user to document how she set up those custom filters in our analytics dashboard."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Do not confuse with admin or developer. A power user is an advanced user of existing software, not someone with special permissions or who writes code.

✕He is a power user developer.
✓He is a developer with power user knowledge of the IDE.— Power user refers to skilled users of software, not developers who write code. These are different roles.
✕Only power users can access this feature.
✓This is an advanced feature that power users often utilize.— Power users are not defined by permissions or access levels, but by their skill and knowledge of available features.
✕We need a power user to fix the database.
✓We need a database administrator to fix the database.— Power users work within a system; administrators have system-level access and control.

Other forms

noun

power user

"Maria is a power user of Slack and helps others solve messaging issues."

adjective

power-user (attributive)

"He used power-user techniques to optimize the spreadsheet."

Often used with

become a power userused when someone develops expertise over time
power user featuresadvanced capabilities that power users exploit
power user communitygroup of experienced users who share knowledge
power user tipsadvice and shortcuts from experienced users

Similar words

advanced usernearly identical; slightly more formal
expert useremphasizes mastery; slightly broader in scope
superusersimilar but sometimes implies system-level access

Opposites

novice userbeginnercasual user

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. You want to describe someone who knows Notion very well. What do you say?

Complete the sentence

2. The _______ identified a built-in feature we had not discovered yet.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses 'power user' incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this in natural tech English: 'We have someone in our team who knows Google Sheets really well and can do very advanced things with it. We should ask that person to help.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "power user" in a standup this week?

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