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Glite Dictionary
to disempower

to disempower

6 6.8
To make someone have less power or confidence to control their own life
  • verb
  • /ˌdɪsɪmˈpaʊər/
translation icon : desempoderar
  • Everybody's going to grieve differently, but I want people to understand that you don't have to be disempowered in grief.
  • feel disempowered
  • disempower women
  • disempowered people

I I don't think that's very productive, or black people have to feel disempowered by race.

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Examples

  • The pressures for Guadeloupeans to assimilate to metropolitan norms consign Haitians to a particularly disempowered position.

    Academic text (2003)

  • I love working with people who are disempowered or disadvantaged and really being that voice for them.

  • The learned largely feel disempowered by the United States' international behavior.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Caroline appears further disempowered by the age difference between her and Joe.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Here, however, we see that the individual consumer can be disempowered by the marketing rhetoric of the product.

    Academic text (2014)

  • Perhaps unintentionally, the pace and intensity of our health care system often overwhelms and disempowers even the most well-prepared patients.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The endeavor assists women, who are traditionally disempowered in Zimbabwean society, to acquire an independent livelihood.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The new policies aim to disempower oppressive regimes and give people back their rights.

  • Critics argue that these laws will disempower communities and limit their ability to advocate for change.

  • Education can help to disempower those who seek to control others by promoting critical thinking.

Synonyms

to unman
vsto disempower
1 8.8

To make someone lose courage or confidence

reduce a person's power and ability to control their life

Antonyms

to empower
157 4.2

Give someone the power and confidence to do something

How Empowered

to empower
157 4.2
to enable
459 2.3
to support
∞ 1.0
to undermine
270 6.8
to disempower
6 6.8
to oppress
152 6.5

Surface Forms

disempower infinitive
disempowered past
disempowered past participle
disempowering present participle
disempowers third person singular

Morphology

disempower = empower (transparent) = dis + em + power

Adding 'dis-' to 'empower' straightforwardly gives the meaning of reversing or removing empowerment.

Etymology

The word disempower is built from the prefix dis- meaning 'not' and empower meaning 'to give power'. So to disempower someone is to take away or reduce their power, confidence, or control over their life.