empower

[ em-pou-er ]

/ ɛmˈpaʊ ər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR empower ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (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.

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

Nearby words

Origin of empower

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

SYNONYMS FOR empower

1. warrant, commission, license, qualify.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR empower ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsem·pow·er·ment, nounun·em·pow·ered, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for empower

I have often been asked why, as a man, I create films that empower and focus on women.
A Rallying Cry Against the Oversexualization of Our Youth|Darryl Roberts|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Empower the performers, encourage education, and above all make safe sex, well, sexy.
Risky Business or None of Your Business? Gay XXX Films and the Condom Question|Aurora Snow|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They see their concerts as a way to empower women, both musically and socially.
The Sisterhood of Bulletproof Stockings: It’s Ladies’ Night for Hasidic Rockers|Emily Shire|September 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They inconvenience—er, empower—individuals with information to make partisan or ideological purchasing decisions.
The Awful Apps That Let You Vote With Your Wallet|Tim Mak|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The event, hosted by Russell Simmons, was to raise money for the equality movement which seeks to empower women.
Victoria Beckham’s First Date Dress; Rumer Willis Bares Three Nipples at Fundraiser|The Fashion Beast Team|June 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If your Ministers really desire peace, methinks they would do well to empower some person to make propositions for that purpose.
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Volume 3|Various
Ope thou thine eyes, and mark me: thou hast seen Things, that empower thee to sustain my smile.
The Vision of Paradise, Complete|Dante Alighieri
It can empower us to resist temptation, and enable us to overcome sin.
The Theistic Conception of the World|B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Cocker
They also empower the directors to elect a chairman of the board.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 5|Various
The first charters granted to this province did not empower the assembly to tax the people at all.
Novanglus, and Massachusettensis|John Adams

British Dictionary definitions for empower

empower

/ (ɪmˈpaʊə) /

verb (tr)

to give or delegate power or authority to; authorize

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

Word Origin and History for empower