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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have empoweredperfect
-
has empoweredperfect 3rd person singular
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are empoweringprogressive
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empowerssingular 3rd person
-
empoweringparticiple
-
is empoweringprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am empoweringprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been empoweringperfect progressive
-
has been empoweringperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had empoweredperfect
-
had been empoweringperfect progressive
-
empoweredparticiple
-
empoweredsimple
-
was empoweringprogressive singular
-
were empoweringprogressive plural
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.
“With Empower we are further expanding our portfolio to help customers rearchitect their power systems and achieve the compute densities next-generation AI demands.”
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Empower, based in Milpitas, Calif., makes technology designed to reduce the financial and energy cost of owning data centers.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
You could even use a free budgeting app like GoodBudget or Empower to help you stay disciplined.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026
He runs youth work charity Empower Youth Zones, which runs two sites in Manchester and Salford for more than 15,000 children aged between eight and 19.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
Empower me, then, O my God, to be reckoned among them that have clung to Thy laws and precepts for the sake of Thee alone, their eyes fixed on Thy face.
From Prayers and Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh
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.
