From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Empower \Em*pow"er\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Empowered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Empowering}.]
1. To give authority to; to delegate power to; to commission; to authorize (having commonly a legal force); as, the Supreme Court is empowered to try and decide cases, civil or criminal; the attorney is empowered to sign an acquittance, and discharge the debtor.
2. To give moral or physical power, faculties, or abilities to. ''These eyes . . . empowered to gaze.'' --Keble.
3. to enable or permit; to give more opportunity for independent action. [PJC]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
empowered \empowered\ adjective
1. invested with legal power or official authority especially as symbolized by having a scepter.
Syn: sceptered, sceptred. [WordNet 1.5]
2. enabled or permitted; as, the women's liberation movement empowered wives to take more control of their own lives. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
adjective
1: invested with legal power or official authority especially as symbolized by having a scepter [syn: {sceptered}, {sceptred}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
51 Moby Thesaurus words for "empowered": absolute, ascendant, authoritarian, authoritative, authorized, autocratic, chartered, clothed with authority, commanding, competent, consequential, considerable, controlling, dominant, duly constituted, eminent, enfranchised, entitled, ex officio, franchised, governing, great, hegemonic, hegemonistic, imperative, important, influential, leading, licensed, mighty, momentous, monocratic, official, patented, potent, powerful, preeminent, prestigious, privileged, prominent, puissant, ranking, ruling, sanctioned, senior, substantial, superior, supreme, totalitarian, warranted, weighty
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