empower

verb

em·​pow·​er im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce empower (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Another measure is meant to empower communities to redevelop vacant properties into housing, creating an opt-in tax incentive to incentivize redevelopment of vacant or abandoned one-to-four family homes for use as affordable homeownership or rental housing. Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025 Through his music, Carrillo transforms personal anguish into empowering anthems, elevating moments of silence into rich, melodic soundscapes and celebrating the beauty of struggle itself. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025 As the stagehands began to transport instruments and equipment inside, thousands headed to their next destination, enlightened, empowered, and most importantly, entertained. Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 17 Oct. 2025 On the other side is ‘value-creative AI,’ innovations that place artists and their careers at the center, empowering creativity, accelerating music discovery, and deepening fan engagement. Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for empower

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of empower was in 1648

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Cite this Entry

“Empower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empower. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

empower

verb
em·​pow·​er im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce empower (audio)
: to give official authority or legal power to

Legal Definition

empower

transitive verb
em·​pow·​er im-ˈpau̇-ər How to pronounce empower (audio)
: to give official authority or legal power to
no branch of government should be empowered unilaterally to impose a serious penaltyL. H. Tribe

More from Merriam-Webster on empower

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