empower
verb
em·pow·er
im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r 
empowered; empowering; empowers
1
: to give official authority or legal power to
empowered her attorney to act on her behalf
2
: enable sense 1a
… nootropic agents empower the lower amounts of acetylcholine in diseased brains to work overtime …—
Science News
Science News3
: to promote the self-actualization or influence of
The American women's movement has been inspiring and empowering women for nearly 20 years …—Ron Hansen
Ron HansenMembers of our discipline often envision themselves as agents of social change who try to promote critique of dominant ideologies and empower students to become active participants in the larger political world.—Christy Friend
Christy FriendSynonyms
Examples of empower in a Sentence
seeking changes in the workplace that will empower women
the federal agency empowered to collect taxes
Recent Examples on the Web
These tasks are specific, actionable, and designed to be motivating, empowering patients to take control of their well-being.
—Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
So, trust the vision, empower your team and remember that transforming an organization is a marathon, not a sprint.
—Parna Sarkar-Basu, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
The opening of formal proceedings Tuesday empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps and to accept commitments made by TikTok.
—Reuters, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
In 2019, the peoples of both Iraq and Lebanon rose up in movements with two central demands: to end the sectarian power-sharing system that empowered the Axis militias in these countries, and to build effective public services.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for empower 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024
So, trust the vision, empower your team and remember that transforming an organization is a marathon, not a sprint.
—Parna Sarkar-Basu, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
The opening of formal proceedings Tuesday empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps and to accept commitments made by TikTok.
—Reuters, CNN, 17 Dec. 2024
In 2019, the peoples of both Iraq and Lebanon rose up in movements with two central demands: to end the sectarian power-sharing system that empowered the Axis militias in these countries, and to build effective public services.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for empower
Dictionary Entries Near empower
Cite this Entry
“Empower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/empower. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
empower
verb
em·pow·er
im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r
: to give official authority or legal power to
Legal Definition
empower
transitive verb
em·pow·er
im-ˈpau̇-ər
: to give official authority or legal power to
no branch of government should be empowered unilaterally to impose a serious penalty—L. H. Tribe
L. H. TribeLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share