enabler

noun

en·​abler i-ˈnā-b(ə-)lər 

: one that enables another to achieve an end

especially : one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (such as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by making it possible to avoid the consequences of such behavior

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 enabler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet a president bent on destroying this salutary system — with enough enablers to see the plan through — would have nearly limitless tools to do so. —Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 13 June 2024

The book is a mordant accounting of Hitler’s establishment enablers, from the right-wing media magnate Alfred Hugenberg to General Kurt von Schleicher, two of many characters who schemed to use him as a stalking horse for their own ambitions. —The New Yorker, 12 June 2024

Some politicians and their enablers may not be able to feel shame or guilt through the thick callus of their ambition, but they can be shamed and held publicly accountable for their actions. —Krista Kafer, The Denver Post, 12 June 2024

In addition, Google maps can calculate the best charging stops on long drives real-time, a key enabler for efficient EV travel over long distances. —Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1615, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

enabler

noun

en·​abler i-ˈnā-b(ə-)lər 

: one that enables another to achieve an end

especially : one who enables another to persist in self-destructive behavior (as substance abuse) by providing excuses or by helping that individual avoid the consequences of such behavior