The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 10 letter word INCAPACITY
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
I
N
C
A
P
A
C
I
T
Y
More clues leading to the result INCAPACITY
- Weakness — old empire builder quick to conceal it
- Weakness of urban housing control
- Powerlessness in a place like Washington, for example, with Trump installed
- Lack of ability shown by language associated with Philadelphia?
- Disability of old man in Machu Picchu, say?
- Impotence in office
- Impotence of father visiting Cuzco perhaps
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Powerlessness" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case powerlessness = incapacity.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does INCAPACITY mean?
INCAPACITY noun- The lack of a capacity; an inability.
- Legal disqualification.