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Empowers vs Encourages - What's the difference?

empowers | encourages |

As verbs the difference between empowers and encourages

is that empowers is (empower) while encourages is .

empowers

English

Verb

(head)
  • (empower)

  • empower

    English

    Alternative forms

    * empowre (archaic) * impower (archaic) * impowre (obsolete)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To give permission, power, or the legal right to do something.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1985, author=William H. Tench, title=Safety is no accident
  • , passage=Regulations have been made under the Civil Aviation Acts of 1949, 1980 and 1982 which empower Inspectors of Accidents to do these things.}}
  • To give someone more confidence and/or strength to do something, often by enabling them to increase their control over their own life or situation.
  • It's not enough to give women and minorities equal rights on paper; they need to be empowered to be able to make use of these rights.
    John found that starting up his own business empowered him greatly in social situations.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1992, author=Nick Logan, title=The Face, page=11-130
  • , passage=Musically, what originally attracted me to dance was its shamanist aspects, using natural magic to change people's neurological states and to psychologically empower them.}}

    Synonyms

    * (give permission to) allow, let, permit * (give confidence to) inspire

    Antonyms

    * (give permission to) ban, bar, forbid, prohibit * (give confidence to) disempower, dishearten, disspirit

    Derived terms

    * empowerment

    encourages

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (encourage)
  • ----

    encourage

    English

    Verb

    (encourag)
  • To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
  • I encouraged him during his race.
  • To spur on, strongly recommend.
  • We encourage the use of bicycles in the town centre.
  • To foster, give help or patronage
  • ''The royal family has always encouraged the arts in word and deed

    Synonyms

    * (l) * (l)

    Antonyms

    * discourage

    Derived terms

    * encouragement * encouraging * encouragingly