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
The potential applications are immense and could enable greater communications and access for people with disabilities.
—
Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
On Friday, Anthropic announced new legal, finance and product marketing capabilities for its Claude Cowork productivity tool, and released the plugins under an open-source license, enabling customization.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026
Instagram in 2024 launched teen accounts that place limits on what users can see, who can message and interact with them, and enable parents to exercise more control over their teens' social media use.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
This openness enables taxpayers to gain a clearer understanding of the decision-making process, the use of public resources and the findings of an investigation, thereby fostering informed civic engagement and reinforcing public confidence.
—Carl Jackson, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
On Friday, Anthropic announced new legal, finance and product marketing capabilities for its Claude Cowork productivity tool, and released the plugins under an open-source license, enabling customization.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2026
Instagram in 2024 launched teen accounts that place limits on what users can see, who can message and interact with them, and enable parents to exercise more control over their teens' social media use.
—Rachel Hale, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
This openness enables taxpayers to gain a clearer understanding of the decision-making process, the use of public resources and the findings of an investigation, thereby fostering informed civic engagement and reinforcing public confidence.
—Carl Jackson, Baltimore Sun, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for enable
Cite this Entry
“Enable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enable. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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