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
Mandazis, ginger rice congee and crispy lentil kofte can be found in a new cafe, run by the nonprofit organization MAKE Projects, which opened at the end of June with a mission to empower immigrant and refugee women.
—
Madeleine Kashkooli,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2026
Or, the family retains voting control but empowers a world-class professional management team to run daily operations without meddling, as seen at Hyatt or McCormick & Co.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
6 July 2026
Staying in the loop empowers you to make informed decisions regarding outdoor engagements during air quality alerts.
—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
4 July 2026
Their transformative gift will help expand our mission of bringing music education to students across the country, creating opportunities that will inspire and empower thousands of young people for years to come.
—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for empower
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Madeleine Kashkooli,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 July 2026
Or, the family retains voting control but empowers a world-class professional management team to run daily operations without meddling, as seen at Hyatt or McCormick & Co.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
6 July 2026
Staying in the loop empowers you to make informed decisions regarding outdoor engagements during air quality alerts.
—
Southern California Weather Report,
Oc Register,
4 July 2026
Their transformative gift will help expand our mission of bringing music education to students across the country, creating opportunities that will inspire and empower thousands of young people for years to come.
—
Lily Brown,
PEOPLE,
3 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for empower
Cite this Entry
“Empower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empower. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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
