empower

[ em-pou-er ]
See synonyms for: empowerempoweredempoweringempowerment on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to give power or authority to; authorize, especially by legal or official means: I empowered my agent to make the deal for me. The local ordinance empowers the board of health to close unsanitary restaurants.

  2. to enable or permit: Wealth empowered him to live a comfortable life.

Origin of empower

1
First recorded in 1645–55; em-1 + power

Other words for empower

Other words from empower

  • em·pow·er·ment, noun
  • un·em·pow·ered, adjective

Words Nearby empower

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use empower in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for empower

empower

/ (ɪmˈpaʊə) /


verb(tr)
  1. to give or delegate power or authority to; authorize

  2. to give ability to; enable or permit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012