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 News
3
: 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 Hansen
Members 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 Friend
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
Many textiles, including blankets and table runners, were purchased from Sanaa, a social enterprise in Arusha that focuses on empowering people with disabilities through sustainable craftsmanship. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026 The channels consisted of livestream VODs and free courses created by me to help empower young men to be the best versions of themselves. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 While Fortune 500 enterprises are better equipped to update their infrastructure, the vast majority—small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and smaller agencies—are less empowered to make these upgrades. —Kemba Walden, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026 Despite its affordable £15,000 price tag, the company insists the robot is a tool to empower workers rather than replace them, handling routine tasks so humans can tackle more complex, collaborative challenges. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026 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.
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026 The channels consisted of livestream VODs and free courses created by me to help empower young men to be the best versions of themselves. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026 While Fortune 500 enterprises are better equipped to update their infrastructure, the vast majority—small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and smaller agencies—are less empowered to make these upgrades. —Kemba Walden, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026 Despite its affordable £15,000 price tag, the company insists the robot is a tool to empower workers rather than replace them, handling routine tasks so humans can tackle more complex, collaborative challenges. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for empower
Cite this Entry
“Empower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/empower. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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. Tribe
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