empower

• 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.

   Synonyms: allow, let, permit

   Antonyms: ban, bar, forbid, prohibit; see also Thesaurus:prohibit

   • 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.

   Synonym: inspire

   Antonyms: disempower, dishearten, disspirit

   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.

• empowre