empowerment
Britishnoun
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the giving or delegation of power or authority; authorization
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the giving of an ability; enablement or permission
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(in South Africa) a policy of providing special opportunities in employment, training, etc for Black people and others disadvantaged under apartheid
Explanation
Empowerment is the power granted by one person or institution to another. The government can grant empowerment to a department to effect change, or a person can grant empowerment to her lawyer to sign contracts on her behalf. In the US of the 1950s and 60s, there were a number of groups that sought empowerment against oppression. Some of these included the Civil Rights Movement, led by a number of powerful members including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During this period, César Chávez worked for the rights of Latinos and farm workers. There were a number of other empowerment movements as well, each working to gain power for an oppressed group.
Vocabulary lists containing empowerment
President Trump's Second State of the Union Address (2019)
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Where Wolves Don't Die
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Peace Corps Lingo
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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.
“There’s this proliferation of do-it-yourself financial knowledge — and I’m all for empowerment — but you make the wrong Social Security decision and you’re living with those decisions the rest of your life,” Taylor said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
It concludes with a brief survey of “Medea as Women’s Heroine,” exploring her role as a symbol of female empowerment since the 19th century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
"We are going through difficult times back home. It means girl power and empowerment, and just having fun and being together," she says.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
For Stern, the root of the bill is empowerment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
On a cool day in April, Tina and I flew out to attend a meeting of community leaders discussing youth empowerment, and also to meet a new group of kids.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
