Enable - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT enable /ɛnˈeɪbəl/ /ɛnˈeɪbəl/ IPA guide

Other forms: enabled; enables; enabling

When you make something possible, you enable it. Your good grades might enable you to get into your first-choice college. And a great teacher enabled you to get such good grades.

Enable has taken on the meaning of allowing or even helping someone continue to do something they really shouldn't. If your mother writes note after note to get you out of school for no good reason, she is enabling your habit of playing hooky. While you might think she's being cool, a therapist might call her an enabler and give her part of the blame.

Definitions of enable

verb render capable or able for some task “This skill will enable you to find a job on Wall Street” “The rope enables you to secure yourself when you climb the mountain” see moresee less antonyms: disable make unable to perform a certain action types: equip provide with abilities or understanding empower, endow, endue, gift, imbue, indue, invest give qualities or abilities to cover invest with a large or excessive amount of something type of: alter, change, modify cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

Pronunciation US /ɛnˈeɪbəl/ UK /ɛnˈeɪbəl/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘enable'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing enable

Vocabulary from "Community is the 'killer app' missing from virtual reality" by Dmitri Williams Vocabulary from the Second Presidential Debate: October 9, 2016

The Second Presidential Debate took place on October 9, 2016 between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and businessman Donald Trump. It was a raucous affair, with a good amount of name-calling and accusations, but there was also some discussion of issues like the crisis in Syria and tax reform. Here are 20 words from the Second Presidential Debate.

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