Knowledge is power is one of the most proverbial of proverbs. It’s succinct enough to fit on a bumper sticker and clear enough that everyone can grok it. But what did it originally mean? Prepare and deliver Knowledge Is Power Speech for 1, 2, or 5 minutes. Practice now with Vedantu and boost your confidence for any event. The phrase " scientia potentia est " (or " scientia est potentia " or also " scientia potestas est ") is a Latin aphorism meaning " knowledge is power ", commonly attributed to Sir Francis Bacon. The expression " ipsa scientia potestas est " ('knowledge itself is power') occurs in Bacon's Meditationes Sacrae (1597). Learn the meaning and origin of the phrase "knowledge is power", attributed to Francis Bacon and Thomas Hobbes. Discover how different philosophers, such as Foucault and Ali Ibn Abi Talib, have explored the relationship between knowledge and power.