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empower

[ em-pou-er ]
/ ɛmˈpaʊ ər /
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See synonyms for: empower / empowered / empowering / empowerment 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.
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Origin of empower

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

OTHER WORDS FROM empower

em·pow·er·ment, nounun·em·pow·ered, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use empower in a sentence

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
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