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
Art Partner has unveiled the 2025 Earth Partner Prize—an international competition dedicated to empowering young people to take impactful action in response to the climate emergency.
—Photovogue, Vogue, 21 June 2025
Building on a legacy that has raised over $2.75 million since 2005, the Bro-Am events continue to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering disadvantaged youth through programs focused on fundamental needs, as well as music, art, and surfing.
—Encinitas Advocate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
Related: [The future of AI is even more fossil fuels]
That may all sound daunting, but the researchers comparing different types of models say their findings could help empower everyday AI users to take steps to reduce their own carbon impact.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 19 June 2025
And finally, 72% of respondents reported heightened cyber risks, driven partly by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, which empowers cybercriminals, with ransomware remaining a persistent threat.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for empower
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Photovogue, Vogue, 21 June 2025
Building on a legacy that has raised over $2.75 million since 2005, the Bro-Am events continue to support nonprofit organizations dedicated to empowering disadvantaged youth through programs focused on fundamental needs, as well as music, art, and surfing.
—Encinitas Advocate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
Related: [The future of AI is even more fossil fuels]
That may all sound daunting, but the researchers comparing different types of models say their findings could help empower everyday AI users to take steps to reduce their own carbon impact.
—Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 19 June 2025
And finally, 72% of respondents reported heightened cyber risks, driven partly by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, which empowers cybercriminals, with ransomware remaining a persistent threat.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 18 June 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 27 Jun. 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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