'disempower' originates from the prefix 'dis-' meaning 'opposite of' and the word 'empower', which comes from Old French 'empowerer', meaning 'to give power'.

'empowerer' transformed into the English word 'empower', and with the addition of the prefix 'dis-', it became 'disempower'.

Initially, it meant 'to take away power', and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.