Meaning & use
to empower someone
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Meanings
phrasetransitive
To give someone the confidence, power, or authority to do something or control their own life.
Grammar: Takes a direct object: empower someone. Often followed by 'to' + infinitive: empower someone to act.
Patterns
- empower someone to do something
- empower someone to take control
The training program aims to empower women to start their own businesses.
Good teachers empower their students to ask questions and think independently.
The new law empowers local councils to make decisions about housing.
phrasetransitive
To make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights.
Grammar: Used more in social and political contexts; the focus is on confidence and rights.
Patterns
- empower someone to do something
- empower a community
The movement seeks to empower marginalized communities.
Education can empower individuals to break the cycle of poverty.
Word forms
| third person singular | empowers someone |
|---|---|
| past tense | empowered someone |
| past participle | empowered someone |
| -ing form | empowering someone |
Common combinations
- empower someone to do something
- The mentor empowered her to pursue a career in science.
- empower women
- The charity works to empower women in rural areas.
- feel empowered
- After the workshop, she felt empowered to speak up.
- empower a community
- The project aims to empower the local community.
Synonyms and how they differ
- enable
- Enable means to make something possible, often by providing means or opportunity, while empower emphasizes giving power or confidence.
- authorize
- Authorize means to give official permission, which is more formal and specific than empower.
- embolden
- Embolden means to give someone courage, but it does not necessarily involve giving power or authority.
Opposites
Word family
- empowerment noun
- The process of gaining power or confidence.
- empowering adjective
- Making someone feel more confident or powerful.
Commonly confused: to empower someone or empower?
to empower someone vs empower
Empower is the base verb; 'to empower someone' is the full infinitive phrase used as a headword here.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'empower someone' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct pattern is 'empower someone to do something'. Option 0 follows this pattern. Option 1 has incorrect word order; option 2 uses 'making' instead of 'to make'; option 3 uses 'for make' instead of 'to make'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to empower someone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.