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

In recognition of Black History Month and its century-long mission to highlight the contributions and impact of Black Americans, this year’s expo pays tribute to one of the most influential eras in Black commerce and economic empowerment. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 19 Feb. 2026

On Monday, more than 400 female student athletes from 28 high schools across Chicago’s North Shore filled the auditorium at Glenbrook North High School to learn about female empowerment in sports. —Alexandra Murphy, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026

Others, such as Jeffrey Campbell, president of Burger King when Jackson opened negotiations in 1983, found the encounter with Jackson and his rhetoric of economic empowerment inspiring. —Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Feb. 2026

Sharpton was just a 14-year-old boy preacher when Jackson, a King lieutenant, tapped him to be the youth director of the Brooklyn branch of Jackson’s Operation Breadbasket economic empowerment campaign. —Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for empowerment

• disempowerment