empower
verb
em·pow·er
im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r 
empowered; empowering; empowers
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
Science News3
: 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
Ron HansenMembers 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
Christy FriendExamples 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
As effortless or even empowering as being single can look from the outside, plenty of others struggle to embrace it at all.
—Jenna Ryu, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
Future Goals Beyond these goals, Rickson Dsouza wants to empower five million financial advisors worldwide through Successio Academy and his book.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
In addition to her books, Kelly also sells merchandise that empowers future engineers, from notebooks to stationary and drinkware.
—Essence, 10 Dec. 2025
The multi-platform media and educational company today goes beyond social media to offering events, panels, editorial content, a newsletter and tech tools designed to connect and empower emerging entertainment professionals.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empower
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Jenna Ryu, SELF, 12 Dec. 2025
Future Goals Beyond these goals, Rickson Dsouza wants to empower five million financial advisors worldwide through Successio Academy and his book.
—K.h. Koehler, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
In addition to her books, Kelly also sells merchandise that empowers future engineers, from notebooks to stationary and drinkware.
—Essence, 10 Dec. 2025
The multi-platform media and educational company today goes beyond social media to offering events, panels, editorial content, a newsletter and tech tools designed to connect and empower emerging entertainment professionals.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empower
Cite this Entry
“Empower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empower. Accessed 18 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
L. H. TribeLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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