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 of enable

• let
• allow
• empower

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

Prime Air is currently testing a new drone delivery mechanism that could enable it to carry a wider assortment of products, like fragile cartons of eggs or other perishables, Carbon said. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

This has vast implications beyond motorsport, promising to revolutionize industries from manufacturing to logistics by enabling faster, more reliable real-time decision-making directly at the point of action. — Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026

This can be modeled on the Civil Reserve Air Fleet, which enables the federal government to promptly make use of commercial planes and pilots when a military aircraft shortage emerges. — Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

The difference between our naked eyes and a telescope is that a telescope collects far more light than our eyes, enabling it to capture much smaller and fainter objects. — Elijah Tan, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for enable

• able
• chaebol
• fable
• label
• sable
• stabile
• stable
• table
• allocable
• educable
• irrigable
• purchasable

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