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
Now, the one-year grace period for the act’s mandatory registration requirements has ended, meaning agencies must be registered as model management companies or groups with the New York Department of Labor (NYDL) to better enable models to discern legitimate representation.
—
Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 19 June 2026
One maker of a counter-drone tool in the hands of the federal authorities explains that their technology can interact and communicate directly in the drone’s language, enabling it to be taken over.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
It’s been rigged with state-of-the-art technologies to streamline daily operations, boost productivity efficiency, and overall workflow, ultimately enabling Burlington to get merchandise to its stores faster.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Rather than relying on centralized control infrastructure, the platform enables autonomous systems to coordinate with one another while operating in the field.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for enable
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Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 19 June 2026
One maker of a counter-drone tool in the hands of the federal authorities explains that their technology can interact and communicate directly in the drone’s language, enabling it to be taken over.
—Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026
It’s been rigged with state-of-the-art technologies to streamline daily operations, boost productivity efficiency, and overall workflow, ultimately enabling Burlington to get merchandise to its stores faster.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Rather than relying on centralized control infrastructure, the platform enables autonomous systems to coordinate with one another while operating in the field.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 June 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 19 Jun. 2026.
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