empower

[em-pou-er]

verb (used with object)

1. to give power pow 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

2. to enable or permit.

   Wealth empowered him to live a comfortable life.

empower

/ ɪmˈpaʊə /

verb

1. to give or delegate power or authority to; authorize

2. to give ability to; enable or permit

Other Word Forms

• empowerment noun
• unempowered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of empower¹

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

Example Sentences

Prof Kevin Whelan, senior research author and professor of dietetics at KCL, said the new guidance "marks a promising step towards empowering health professionals and their patients to manage constipation through diet".

Read more on BBC

Instead, global insurers empower the St. Petersburg, Fla., firm to write policies for them.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Lebanese army has been empowered to disarm Hezbollah, and when it needs backup, the Israeli air force hasn’t been shy about flexing its firepower.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The review emphasizes that while proven policies such as raising alcohol taxes, restricting availability, and limiting marketing remain essential, they should be paired with interventions that tackle harmful gender norms and empower women and children.

Read more on Science Daily

Even as institutional expertise dooms the victim, it empowers the murderer, who has created a seemingly impenetrable alibi by taking advantage of the record-keeping intrinsic to large organizations.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• allow 
• entitle 
• entrust 
• grant 
• legitimize 
• permit 
• vest