# empower

Pronunciation: US say "im-POW-ur" /ɪmˈpaʊə(ɹ)/; UK say "im-POW-uh" /ɪmˈpaʊə(ɹ)/

## Verb

1. To give someone greater confidence and strength to act, often by increasing their control over their own life or situation.
   - Simple: To help someone feel stronger, more sure of themselves, and more in control of their own life.
   - _Microloans empower women in rural communities to start their own businesses._
   - _The new policy is designed to empower employees to make decisions without waiting for approval._
2. To grant someone the permission, power, or legal right to do something.
   - Simple: To give someone the right or power to do something.
   - _The statute empowers the agency to issue fines for violations._
   - _Shareholders voted to empower the board to negotiate the merger._

## Origin

Formed from the prefix em- combined with power.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/empower (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).