empowerment

noun

em·​pow·​er·​ment im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r-mənt 

plural empowerments

1

: the act or action of empowering someone or something : the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties

Malcolm X, the eloquent spokesman for black empowerment who, in 1965, was gunned down at the age of 39 in New York city, continues to influence the political, social, and cultural climate of our society.

—Joe Wood

Therefore, part of the cure for poverty was empowerment—training the residents of a poor neighborhood to organize themselves and learn to get things from the power structure.

—Nicholas Lemann

2

: the state of being empowered to do something : the power, right, or authority to do something

Education does not automatically result in women's empowerment, as the social and economic context in which women live can pose overwhelming constraints on their choices.

—Erin Murphy-Graham

The focus on getting a candidate elected is a way for voters wary of broken promises to gain a sense of empowerment.

—John Dutton

Amid the uproar, he and his fellow students felt a budding—and maybe false—sense of empowerment.

—James Graff

Like John Lennon, he brought the idea that through music, empowerment and words, you can really come up with world peace.

—Wyclef Jean

Synonyms of empowerment

• mandate
• accreditation

Examples of empowerment in a Sentence

the empowerment of her husband to make medical decisions on her behalf is clearly stated in her living will

Recent Examples on the Web

To advance economic empowerment. —Maggie Johnson, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025

Spurred by faith, mission, and an abiding passion for empowerment, Sarah is a unique voice in contemporary music—a voice that demonstrates that a creative life not only is possible, but sustainable, extraordinary, meaningful, and greatly impactful. —Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025

Building a Mystery for the beautiful nostalgia and empowerment. —Heidi Gardner, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

Before late 2015, her posts often concerned Theranos, promoted empowerment of women and girls, praised women, including Black activist Rosa Parks, medicine pioneer Marie Curie, philanthropist Melinda Gates, right-wing former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and tennis icon Billie Jean King. —Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for empowerment

• disempowerment