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
Projects like Bitcoin Beach demonstrate how a Bitcoin circular economy empowers local communities and underscore how these communities could have a big impact in their own countries.
—Javier Bastardo, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Rather than eliminating entry-level jobs, organizations should reimagine them for a new era—where early-career professionals are empowered to work alongside AI, learning higher-order skills instead of just routine tasks.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Jackets for Jobs' mission on its own is to empower people seeking jobs by giving away free business attire, so joining this initiative just made sense, Vaughn said.
—Emma George-Griffin, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
This decision reflects a broader reluctance to empower oversight even in the face of rising public demand for transparency and accountability.
—Hansel Alejandro Aguilar, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for empower
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Javier Bastardo, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Rather than eliminating entry-level jobs, organizations should reimagine them for a new era—where early-career professionals are empowered to work alongside AI, learning higher-order skills instead of just routine tasks.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025
Jackets for Jobs' mission on its own is to empower people seeking jobs by giving away free business attire, so joining this initiative just made sense, Vaughn said.
—Emma George-Griffin, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025
This decision reflects a broader reluctance to empower oversight even in the face of rising public demand for transparency and accountability.
—Hansel Alejandro Aguilar, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 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 13 Sep. 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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