Dictionary

enable en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (California) audio
• /ɪˈneɪ.bəl/ (Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ɪˈnæɪ.bəl/ (Australia)
• /əˈnæɪ.bəl/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English enablen, equivalent to en- + able.

Meanings

1. To make somebody able (to do, or to be, something); to give sufficient ability or power to do or to be; to give strength or ability to.
   • And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, 1 Timothy i:12:
2. To affirm; to make firm and strong.
3. To qualify or approve for some role or position; to render sanction or authorization to; to confirm suitability for.
   • This was widely interpreted to mean that slavery was once more firmly illegal in England. However, the "positive law" mentioned–i.e., a direct law specifically enabling slavery–existed in many British colonies (although not all), since these colonies had a degree of freedom to write their own law apart from that of the home country. 2018 December 1, Drachinifel, 3:21 from the start, in Anti-Slavery Patrols - The West Africa Squadron, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2024:
4. To yield the opportunity or provide the possibility for something; to provide with means, opportunities, and the like.
   • April 16, 2018, Norimitsu Onishi and Selam Gebrekidan writing in The New York Times, ‘They Eat Money’: How Mandela’s Political Heirs Grow Rich Off Corruption
   • Trainers of modern athletes monitor performance by using high tech equipment and biometric bodysuits with embedded sensors to enable detailed analysis of movement, balance, efficiency for athletic performance. 2009, Meribeth A. Dayme, Dynamics of the Singing Voice, Springer Science & Business Media, page 174:
   • During 1971-72, spare Type 4s on other regions enabled the whole class to be sidelined, with Class 43s going first. 2022 January 12, David Clough, “From Germany with love: a Warship retrospective”, in RAIL, number 948, page 49:
   • Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism. 2013 June 29, “A punch in the gut”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, pages 72–3:
   • Temperance gives Nature her full play, and enables her to exert herself in all her force and vigor. 1711 October 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “FRIDAY, October 13, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 195; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 506:
5. To imply or tacitly confer excuse for an action or a behavior.
   • His parents enabled him to go on buying drugs.
6. To put a circuit element into action by supplying a suitable input pulse.
7. To activate, to make operational (especially of a function of an electronic or mechanical device).

Forms

Antonyms

disable

Deriveds

enabler · re-enable · reenable · enablable · disenable · reënable · enablement

Synonyms

activate · turn on · let · empower · allow · endow · permit · authorize

Translations (154)

fr autoriser (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · mk вклучува (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · id memfungsikan (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · mi whakaahei (to make something possible) · ca habilitar (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · sk aktivovať (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sh оспособити (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · nl inschakelen (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · mi whakamana (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · su ᮍᮠᮥᮛᮥᮀᮊᮩᮔ᮪ (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · nl mogelijk maken (to make something possible) · nl toestaan (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pl uzdolnić (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · sv ge någon kraft (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · fi ottaa käyttöön (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · da give nogen kraft (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · sl vklopiti (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · da aktivere (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · tk işletmek (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · de anordnen (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · fi sallia (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · mk активира (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · bn সক্রিয় করা (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · lv aktivizēt (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · de aktivieren (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · cs aktivovat (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pl umożliwiać (to make something possible) · is gera virkt (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · eo aktivigi (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · eo ebligi (to make something possible) · hu felhatalmaz (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · bg включвам (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · id memampukan (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · la habilito (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · it attivare (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · nl inschakelen (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · pl włączać (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · de (jemanden) berechtigen (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · it permettere (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · lt įjungti (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · az aktivləşdirmək (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sh овла́стити (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · es habilitar (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sq aktivizoj (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · ru активи́ровать (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · nl in staat stellen (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · su ᮍᮖᮥᮀᮞᮤᮊᮩᮔ᮪ (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · es activar (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fi mahdollistaa (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · fi antaa tekosyy (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · ky жандыруу (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pl odblokować (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · hu aktivál (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · uk включати (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · ms menghidupkan (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · lb aktivéieren (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · ml പ്രാപ്തമാക്കുക (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · lv ieslēgt (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · uk уможли́влювати (to make something possible) · de einschalten (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · be актываваць (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sl vključiti (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fr permettre (to make something possible) · fr activer (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · ro activa (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fa کناییدن (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fi mahdollistaa (to make something possible) · su ᮍᮊ᮪ᮒᮤᮕ᮪ᮊᮩᮔ᮪ (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · da anordne (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · ka ჩართვა (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · el επιτρέπω (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · sv aktivera (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · da muliggøre (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · sh ovlástiti (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · fa فعال کردن (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · tr etkinleştirmek (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · af aanskakel (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fi tehdä kykeneväksi (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · it abilitare (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · bg активирам (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sh ukljúčiti (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fi antaa lupa (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · sh deblokírati (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · tk işjeňleşdirmek (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · gd thoir cothrom do (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · mr सक्रिय करावे (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · ml സാധ്യമാക്കുക (to make something possible) · hu engedélyez (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sh активи́рати (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · es posibilitar (to make something possible) · hi सक्रिय करना (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · mi whakakaha (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · af aktiveer (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · eo enŝalti (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · am አንቃ (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · da tænde (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · et aktiveerima (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sv möjliggöra (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · uk вмикати (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · be уключа́ць (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fr permettre (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · cs umožnit (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · gd thoir comas do (to make something possible) · nl in staat stellen (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · uk активувати (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · ml സാധ്യമാക്കുക (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · hu lehetővé tesz (to make something possible) · de ermöglichen (to make something possible) · az işə salmaq (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · bg да́вам възмо́жност (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · ml സാധ്യമാക്കുക (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · sh aktivirati (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sh osposòbiti (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · ru дава́ть возмо́жность (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · sk zapnúť (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pl upełnomocnić (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · ru уполномо́чивать (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · id menghidupkan (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pt possibilitar (to make something possible) · ms mengaktifkan (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · uk уможли́вити (to make something possible) · el ενεργοποιώ (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · hu feljogosít (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · sh деблоки́рати (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · ky күйгүзүү (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · hu bekapcsol (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · cmn 啟用 /启用 (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · hy միացնել (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · lt aktyvinti (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sw kuwasha (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · cs umožnit (to make something possible) · sh укљу́чити (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sv ursäkta (to allow a way out or excuse for an action) · fr permettre (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · sv möjliggöra (to make something possible) · cs zapnout (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · id mengaktifkan (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pt habilitar (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · lo ເປີດໃຊ້ງານ (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · es habilitar (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · de befähigen (to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities) · pt habilitar (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · hi चालू करना (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · nl activeren (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pt ativar (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · et sisse lülitama (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · jv ngaktifake (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · fi aktivoida (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · eu aktibatu (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · da muliggøre (to make something possible) · mi whakahohe (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pl aktywować (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device) · pl umożliwić (to make something possible) · ru включа́ть (to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device)