empower
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English
[edit]
Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]empower (third-person singular simple present empowers, present participle empowering, simple past and past participle empowered)
- (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.
- (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.
Synonyms
[edit]Antonyms
[edit]- (antonym(s) of “give permission to”): ban, bar, forbid, prohibit
- (antonym(s) of “give confidence to”): disempower, dishearten, disspirit
Derived terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]to give permission to
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to give confidence and/or strength to
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