empower

 

English Wikipedia has an article on:

empower

Wikipedia

• empowre (archaic)
• impower (archaic)
• impowre (obsolete)

From em- +‎ power.

• IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpaʊə(ɹ)/, /ɛmˈpaʊə(ɹ)/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊə(ɹ)

empower (third-person singular simple present empowers, present participle empowering, simple past and past participle empowered)

1. (transitive) To give permission, power, or the legal right to do something.
   • 1985, William H. Tench, Safety is no accident:

     Regulations have been made under the Civil Aviation Acts of 1949, 1980 and 1982 which empower Inspectors of Accidents to do these things.

   • 2021 December 29, Paul Stephen, “Rail's accident inspectors”, in RAIL, number 947, page 30:

     Once on site, inspectors are empowered to exercise wide-ranging legal powers - including the right to enter railway property or land adjoining it; to make written, electronic or photographic records; to seize equipment, remove or retain samples; and to be given access to records and recording equipment.

2. (transitive) To give someone more confidence and/or strength to do something, often by enabling them to increase their control over their own life or situation.

   John found that starting up his own business empowered him greatly in social situations.

   • 1992, Nick Logan, The Face, page 11-130:

     Musically, what originally attracted me to dance was its shamanist aspects, using natural magic to change people's neurological states and to psychologically empower them.

   • 2021 November 17, Davie Carns, “Addressing the skills gap”, in RAIL, number 944, page 62:

     This side of the training is effective in empowering employees to make better decisions on site, and helps to improve employee retention.

• (give permission to): allow, let, permit
• (give confidence to): inspire

• (antonym(s) of “give permission to”): ban, bar, forbid, prohibit
• (antonym(s) of “give confidence to”): disempower, dishearten, disspirit

• empowerment

• empowre