empower
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- qualify, license, commission, warrant
-
to enable or permit.
Wealth empowered him to live a comfortable life.
verb
-
to give or delegate power or authority to; authorize
-
to give ability to; enable or permit
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has empoweredperfect 3rd person singular
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have empoweredperfect
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is empoweringprogressive 3rd person singular
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are empoweringprogressive
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empowerssingular 3rd person
-
empoweringparticiple
-
am empoweringprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been empoweringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been empoweringperfect progressive
Past
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had empoweredperfect
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had been empoweringperfect progressive
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was empoweringprogressive singular
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empoweredparticiple
-
were empoweringprogressive plural
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empoweredsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of empower
Explanation
Empower means "give power or authority to." When you educate children and believe in them, you empower those kids to go after their dreams. Empower might seem like a new word, but it's been around since the 17th century. Today, empower often refers to helping someone realize their abilities and potential, perhaps for the first time. For example, in the 1960s, when women felt like second-class citizens, the women's movement empowered them to stand up and demand their equal rights.
Vocabulary lists containing empower
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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"Hip-Hop as Culture" and "I Am Somebody"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Unlike chemotherapy, which kills healthy and cancerous cells alike, these medicines essentially empower patients’ immune systems to correctly recognize and attack tumors.
From Salon • May 15, 2026
Unigram co-founder Amanda Ghost said the deal “finds new ways to empower iconic artists and to bring their creative worlds to the screen with music as a central character.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
"And we don't just hire them, we believe in them, we train them, and we empower them to grow their careers."
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
He warned that officials had to be transparent and empower locals.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
My promise to myself was to survive so that I could escape Little Rock and empower myself with enough education to come back home and change everything.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
