enable

verb

en·​able i-ˈnā-bəl 

enabled; enabling i-ˈnā-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to provide with the means or opportunity

training that enables people to earn a living

b

: to make possible, practical, or easy

a deal that would enable passage of a new law

c

: to cause to operate

software that enables the keyboard

2

: to give legal power, capacity, or sanction to

a law enabling admission of a state

Did you know?

Enabling: The Behavior of an Enabler

Enable has a number of senses, most of which are some variant on allowing someone (or something, such as enabling cookies on a computer) to do something. In the past several decades, enable has also started to take on a new associated sense in the field of addiction studies, where enabling is viewed as giving misguided support to a person with some substance-abuse issue. A person who facilitates the self-destructive behavior of another is referred to as an enabler.

Synonyms

• allow
• empower
• let
• permit

Examples of enable in a Sentence

The machine enables us to create copies without losing quality.

The system enables students to access class materials online.

These choices are part of what enabled the company to be successful.

a filing system that enables easy access to information

Be sure to enable your computer's firewall.

Recent Examples on the Web

Deeper Emotional Insights: BCIs could measure emotional responses to campaigns, enabling marketers to fine-tune their strategies based on real-time feedback. —Jason Snyder, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

This organic growth has enabled the company to scale without relying on traditional advertising. —Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024

The discovery was enabled by a citizen science website called Happywhale.com that allows professional biologists and casual whale watchers alike to upload photographs of a whale’s tale, also known as its fluke. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024

This belief enabled aggrieved men to see themselves as a class and a constituency for the first time. —Theresa Iker / Made By History, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

enable

verb

en·​able in-ˈā-bəl 

enabled; enabling -b(ə-)liŋ 

1

a

: to make able

glasses enable you to read

b

: to make possible, practical, or easy

2

: to give legal power or permission to