empower

verb

em·​pow·​er im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r 

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

Synonyms of empower

• enable

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

The report recommended that the LAFD prioritize a culture that empowers firefighters to inform their supervisors about hot spots, unsafe conditions and other concerns. — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Is the integration management office strategically empowered with the authority, accountability and federated PMO ecosystem needed to orchestrate people, partners and workstreams across both entities through go-live? — Tipu Usha Vaithee Swaran, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

As a result, one of the oldest dilemmas facing autocrats is how to empower agents to carry out orders without also enabling them to turn against their leader. — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Zirin handily establishes that Zinn’s intention was to make readers feel empowered, not ashamed. — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for empower

• airpower
• brainpower
• devour
• firepower
• horsepower
• manpower
• mayflower
• safflower
• sunflower
• wallflower
• watchtower
• wildflower

Kids 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