empower

verb

em·​pow·​er im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r 

empowered; empowering; empowers

transitive verb

1

: to give official authority or legal power to

empowered her attorney to act on her behalf

2

: enable sense 1a

… nootropic agents empower the lower amounts of acetylcholine in diseased brains to work overtime …

—Science News

3

: to promote the self-actualization or influence of

The American women's movement has been inspiring and empowering women for nearly 20 years …

—Ron Hansen

Members of our discipline often envision themselves as agents of social change who try to promote critique of dominant ideologies and empower students to become active participants in the larger political world.

—Christy Friend

Synonyms of empower

• enable

Examples of empower in a Sentence

seeking changes in the workplace that will empower women

the federal agency empowered to collect taxes

Recent Examples on the Web

Independently, many people who had tried embracing their natural texture felt empowered to go back to wearing straight styles at least some of the time. — Ava Welsing-Kitcher, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026

Emily Stack is senior director of policy and executive director of Moms for America Action, a national movement of over half a million moms whose mission is to empower moms. — Emily Stack, Hartford Courant, 23 Aug. 2026

Young 9-year-old Adalie Arias was not only empowered, but also full of joy and appreciation. — Paul Burton, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

ByChristopher Elliott Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can’t. — Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for empower

• airpower
• brainpower
• devour
• firepower
• horsepower
• manpower
• mayflower
• safflower
• sunflower
• wallflower
• watchtower
• wildflower

Kids Definition

empower

verb

em·​pow·​er im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r 

: to give official authority or legal power to

Legal Definition

empower

transitive verb

em·​pow·​er im-ˈpau̇-ər 

: to give official authority or legal power to

no branch of government should be empowered unilaterally to impose a serious penalty

—L. H. Tribe