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Empower vs Release - What's the difference?

empower | release |

In lang=en terms the difference between empower and release

is that 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 while release is to lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.

As verbs the difference between empower and release

is that empower is to give permission, power, or the legal right to do something while release is to let go (of); to cease to hold or contain or release can be to lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.

As a noun release is

the event of setting (someone or something) free (eg hostages, slaves, prisoners, caged animals, hooked or stuck mechanisms).

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

    release

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) relaisser (variant of relascher).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The event of setting (someone or something) free (e.g. hostages, slaves, prisoners, caged animals, hooked or stuck mechanisms).
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=May-June, author= Charles T. Ambrose
  • , title= Alzheimer’s Disease , volume=101, issue=3, page=200, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Similar studies of rats have employed four different intracranial resorbable, slow sustained release systems—surgical foam, a thermal gel depot, a microcapsule or biodegradable polymer beads.}}
  • (software) The distribution of an initial or new and upgraded version of a computer software product; the distribution can be both public or private.
  • Anything recently released or made available (as for sale).
  • That which is released, untied or let go.
  • Derived terms
    * prerelease * release notes * release from requirement * software release * release process

    Verb

    (releas)
  • To let go (of); to cease to hold or contain.
  • To make available to the public.
  • To free or liberate; to set free.
  • To discharge.
  • (telephone) (of a call) To hang up.
  • (legal) To let go, as a legal claim; to discharge or relinquish a right to, as lands or tenements, by conveying to another who has some right or estate in possession, as when the person in remainder releases his right to the tenant in possession; to quit.
  • To loosen; to relax; to remove the obligation of.
  • to release an ordinance
    (Hooker)
  • (soccer) To set up; to provide with a goal-scoring opportunity
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=September 13, author=Sam Lyon, work=BBC
  • , title= Borussia Dortmund 1-1 Arsenal , passage=With the Gunners far too lightweight in midfield, Mikel Arteta dropped back into a deeper-lying role. This freed Yossi Benayoun to go further forward, a move that helped forge a rare Arsenal chance on 30 minutes when the Israeli released Van Persie, only for the Dutchman's snap-shot to be tipped around the post.}}
    Antonyms
    * hold

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    (releas)
  • To lease again; to grant a new lease of; to let back.