EMPOWER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does empower mean? 

• EMPOWER (verb)
  The verb EMPOWER has 2 senses:

1. give or delegate power or authority to

2. give qualities or abilities to

  Familiarity information: EMPOWER used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EMPOWER (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they empower    ... he / she / it empowers   
Past simple: empowered   
Past participle: empowered   
-ing form: empowering   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give or delegate power or authority to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

authorise; authorize; empower

Context example:

She authorized her assistant to sign the papers

Hypernyms (to "empower" is one way to...):

appoint; charge (assign a duty, responsibility or obligation to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "empower"):

entitle (give the right to)

sanction (give authority or permission to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Derivation:

empowerment (the act of conferring legality or sanction or formal warrant)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give qualities or abilities to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

empower; endow; endue; gift; indue; invest

Hypernyms (to "empower" is one way to...):

enable (render capable or able for some task)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "empower"):

cover (invest with a large or excessive amount of something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody with something

 Context examples 

Has she empowered you to accept my terms?

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

In his hospitable Fazenda we spent our time until the day when we were empowered to open the letter of instructions given to us by Professor Challenger.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

By the kindness of Lord Godalming, I am empowered to read her letters and papers, for I am deeply concerned about certain matters vitally important.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The researchers hope this research empowers thousands of at-risk people with a way to prevent these tumors from becoming a devastating disease.

(Study finds genetic link for rare intestinal cancer, NIH)

An officially chartered institution empowered to receive deposits, make loans, and provide checking and savings account services, all at a profit.

(Bank, NCI Thesaurus)

Similar to software running on a computer, or apps on a mobile device, many different RNA sequences could be created to empower cells with a 'Virtual Machine', able to interpret a universal RNA language, and to perform specific actions to address different diseases or problems.

(Cells Programmed Like Computers to Fight Disease, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Mr Shepherd was completely empowered to act; and no sooner had such an end been reached, than Anne, who had been a most attentive listener to the whole, left the room, to seek the comfort of cool air for her flushed cheeks; and as she walked along a favourite grove, said, with a gentle sigh, A few months more, and he, perhaps, may be walking here.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

At length however she was empowered to disengage herself from her friend, by the avowed necessity of speaking to Miss Tilney, whom she most joyfully saw just entering the room with Mrs. Hughes, and whom she instantly joined, with a firmer determination to be acquainted, than she might have had courage to command, had she not been urged by the disappointment of the day before.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

He induced Mr. W. to empower him to draw out, thus, one particular sum of trust-money, amounting to twelve six fourteen, two and nine, and employed it to meet pretended business charges and deficiencies which were either already provided for, or had never really existed.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)