Inspire vs Empower - What's the difference?
inspire | empower |
To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration.
* Bible, Wisdom xv. 11
* Shakespeare
* {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April
, author=Anna Lena Phillips
, title=Sneaky Silk Moths
, volume=100, issue=2, page=172
, magazine=(American Scientist)
To infuse into; to affect, as with a superior or supernatural influence; to fill with what animates, enlivens or exalts; to communicate inspiration to.
* Dryden
To draw in by the operation of breathing; to inhale.
* Harvey
To infuse by breathing, or as if by breathing.
(archaic) To breathe into; to fill with the breath; to animate.
* Alexander Pope
To spread rumour indirectly.
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.
* {{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.}}
Empower is a synonym of inspire.
In transitive terms the difference between inspire and empower
is that inspire is to spread rumour indirectly while empower is 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.inspire
English
Verb
(inspir)- He knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul.
- Dawning day new comfort hath inspired .
citation, passage=Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.}}
- Elders should inspire children with sentiments of virtue.
- Erato, thy poet's mind inspire , / And fill his soul with thy celestial fire.
- forced to inspire and expire the air with difficulty
- Descend, ye Nine, descend and sing, / The breathing instruments inspire .
Synonyms
* (l)Antonyms
* (inhale) expireDerived terms
* inspirerAnagrams
* ----empower
English
Alternative forms
* empowre (archaic) * impower (archaic) * impowre (obsolete)Verb
(en verb)- 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.
