Word
empower
Meanings
to give someone the authority or power to do something
to make someone feel more confident and able to control their life or situation
to provide people with resources or tools that enable them to act effectively
Definition
To empower someone is to give them the authority, confidence, or resources to act and make decisions.
To empower means to enable someone to take action by giving them authority, support, or the tools they need. It often involves trusting people with responsibility and removing barriers that limit their choices. The goal is for them to act more independently and effectively.
Examples
- The new policy aims to empower employees to resolve customer issues without waiting for managerial approval.
- I felt the mentorship program would empower me to speak up in meetings and defend my proposals more clearly.
- Her manager chose to empower her by delegating the negotiation and trusting her judgement.
- The workshop tries to empower local residents with practical skills so they can organize projects independently.
Common mistake
Learners often misuse empower as a synonym for "force" or "persuade"; it means enabling or authorizing, not making someone do something.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- elude To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.