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 protocol supports long-running tasks and multimodal communication, enabling agents to handle complex workflows involving text, images, audio, or video.
—
Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Working electricity also enabled the ship to send distress signals, Smithsonian magazine noted, likely saving hundreds of lives.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
Their platform, Anchor, enables brands to build individual creator stores.
—Jamie Gutfreund, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Google has launched tools and services enabling developers and business users to build agents.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enable
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Working electricity also enabled the ship to send distress signals, Smithsonian magazine noted, likely saving hundreds of lives.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025
Their platform, Anchor, enables brands to build individual creator stores.
—Jamie Gutfreund, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Google has launched tools and services enabling developers and business users to build agents.
—Janakiram Msv, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 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 18 Apr. 2025.
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