enabled; enabling
i-ˈnā-b(ə-)liŋ 
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.
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
These chemistries all enable technologies, such as semiconductor chips, defense systems, more sustainable and higher performing batteries, aviation components, advanced electronics, fuel cells and more.
—
Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
This skill ensures strategic clarity, fosters innovation and balances human insight with tech efficiency, enabling leaders to navigate uncertainty and drive meaningful outcomes in dynamic workplaces.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
Its circular design enables easier end-of-life recycling—a rare accomplishment for performance membranes.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 10 Nov. 2025
Other rivers, most notably the Whanganui River in New Zealand, have received personhood protections, which are enabling local Indigenous communities to begin the long process of restoring natural flows and habitats.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enable
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Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
This skill ensures strategic clarity, fosters innovation and balances human insight with tech efficiency, enabling leaders to navigate uncertainty and drive meaningful outcomes in dynamic workplaces.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2025
Its circular design enables easier end-of-life recycling—a rare accomplishment for performance membranes.
—Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 10 Nov. 2025
Other rivers, most notably the Whanganui River in New Zealand, have received personhood protections, which are enabling local Indigenous communities to begin the long process of restoring natural flows and habitats.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enable
Cite this Entry
“Enable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enable. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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