disempower

American  

[dis-em-pou-er] / ˌdɪs ɛmˈpaʊ ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to deprive of influence, importance, etc..

   Voters feel they have become disempowered by recent political events.

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disempower British  

/ ˌdɪsɪmˈpaʊə /

verb

1. (tr) to deprive (a person) of power or authority

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Other Word Forms

• disempowerment noun

Etymology

Origin of disempower

First recorded in 1805–15; dis- ¹ + empower

Example Sentences

In January, he published a paper that found that advanced AI tools can disempower users and distort their sense of reality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Opposition parties highlighted cost of living issues, high unemployment - especially for young people - and fears that constitutional changes could disempower the disadvantaged.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2024

The Fifth and Sixth amendments were designed, in part, to disempower judges—who are, after all, employees of the state—and hand over the final determination of guilt to a dozen citizens drawn from the community.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2024

Survivors who supported the legislation have said a defamation lawsuit is often used as a retaliation tactic to disempower victims.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2023

If this were true, Columbus would have reached China, garlic would disempower magnets, and pigs could fly.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton