Dictionary

empowerment en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ɪmˈpaʊ.əɹ.mənt/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Latin in- Old French en-bor. Middle English en- English em- Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Italic *potis Proto-Indo-European *h₁es- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European *-t Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt Proto-Italic *som Proto-Italic *possom Latin posseder. Vulgar Latin potēre Old French pooir Anglo-Norman poerbor. Middle English power English power English empower Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Old French -mentbor. Middle English -ment English -ment English empowerment From empower + -ment.

Meanings

1. The achievement of political, social or economic power by an individual or group.
   • Hence, the anonymity that digital technological tools can provide ultimately leads to empowerment of student opinion and input. 2017, Di Zou, James Lambert, “Feedback methods for student voice in the digital age”, in British Journal of Educational Technology, volume 48, number 5, page 1087:
2. The process of supporting another person or persons to discover and claim personal power.
   • Nevertheless, Bumble, the dating app which once styled itself as a beacon of women’s empowerment because heterosexual women had to make the first move, appears to have missed the memo. 2024 May 21, Arwa Mahdawi, “Sex-positive feminism had its moment – and now it has been replaced by voluntary celibacy”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 28 Jun 2024:
   • The new model, by contrast, is about empowerment. It’s about listening, not talking. It’s about compassion, empathy and humility. It’s about understanding that power is amplified when it’s shared. 2021 March 4, Francesca Donner, “What Makes a Good Leader, and Who Gets to Be One?”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 15 Mar 2021:
3. The state of being empowered (either generally, or specifically).
4. (South-Africa) Government programs encouraging advancement of blacks.

Forms

Deriveds

black economic empowerment · youth empowerment · disempowerment

Descendants

Empowerment

Translations (34)

de Bevollmächtigung (granting of power) · ar تَمْكِين (state of being empowered) · et võimestus (state of being empowered) · pt empoderamento (state of being empowered) · et volitamine (granting of power) · es empoderamiento (granting of power) · hi शक्तीकरण m सशक्तीकरण (granting of power) · ar تَمْكِين (granting of power) · sv fullmakt (granting of power) · no myndighet (granting of power) · mi whakamanatanga (state of being empowered) · el ενίσχυση (granting of power) · fr autonomisation (granting of power) · mi whakamanatanga (granting of power) · et volitus (granting of power) · gl apoderamento (granting of power) · pt empoderamento (granting of power) · fi voimaantuminen (granting of power) · sv bemyndigande (granting of power) · el ενδυνάμωση (granting of power) · et võimestumine (state of being empowered) · it conferimento di potere (granting of power) · id pemberdayaan (granting of power) · ca apoderament (granting of power) · it controllo (granting of power) · it responsabilizzazione (state of being empowered) · de Ermächtigung (granting of power) · ml ശാക്തീകരണം (granting of power) · ms pendayaupayaan (granting of power) · de Empowerment (granting of power) · it emancipazione (state of being empowered) · eo plenpovo (state of being empowered) · no fullmakt (granting of power) · fi valtaistuminen (granting of power)