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

Elba is receiving a Knighthood for services to young people, after launching prominent campaigns for youth empowerment and anti-knife crime. —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025

But many of these frameworks were designed decades ago, before climate resilience, health equity, and community empowerment were central policy goals. —Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 29 Dec. 2025

De La Rose and Anjos’ artwork depicts the presence, growth and empowerment of trans bodies, trans identity and trans people. —Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025

Specifically, that’s his charity work for youth at the Elba Hope Foundation, which supports community empowerment, education, youth advocacy and sustainable development. —Dominic Patten, Deadline, 29 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for empowerment

• disempowerment