Meanings
verbenable (third-person singular simple present enables, present participle enabling, simple past and past participle enabled)
present singular third person enables · participle present enabling · participle past enabled · past enabled
- 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 - To affirm; to make firm and strong.
- To qualify or approve for some role or position; to render sanction or authorization to; to confirm suitability for.
1 more example
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 - 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
4 more examples
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 506Mostly, 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 72–3Trainers 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 174During 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 49Synonyms: allow
- businessTo put a circuit element into action by supplying a suitable input pulse.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo 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.
verbTo qualify or approve for some role or position; to render sanction or authorization to; to confirm suitability for.
verbTo yield the opportunity or provide the possibility for something; to provide with means, opportunities, and the like.
Similar
verbTo activate, to make operational (especially of a function of an electronic or mechanical device).
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishenablen
- Englishenable
From Middle English enablen, equivalent to en- + able.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans aanskakel, aktiveer
- aanskakelto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- aktiveerto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Basque aktibatu
- aktibatuto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Bengali সক্রিয় করা
- সক্রিয় করা (śokriẏo kora)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Bulgarian активирам, включвам
- активирам (aktiviram)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- включвам (vključvam)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- да́вам възмо́жност (dávam văzmóžnost)to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
Catalan habilitar
- habilitarto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
Chinese Mandarin 啟用 /启用
- 啟用 /启用 (qǐyòng)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Czech zapnout, aktivovat
- zapnoutto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- aktivovatto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- umožnitto make something possible
- umožnitto allow a way out or excuse for an action
Danish tænde, aktivere
- tændeto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- aktivereto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- give nogen kraftto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- muliggøreto make something possible
- muliggøreto allow a way out or excuse for an action
- anordneto allow a way out or excuse for an action
Dutch activeren, inschakelen
- activerento activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- inschakelento activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- toestaanto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- inschakelento give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- in staat stellento give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- mogelijk makento make something possible
- in staat stellento allow a way out or excuse for an action
Esperanto enŝalti, aktivigi
- enŝaltito activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- aktivigito activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- ebligito make something possible
Estonian aktiveerima, sisse lülitama
- aktiveerimato activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- sisse lülitamato activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Finnish aktivoida, ottaa käyttöön
- aktivoidato activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- ottaa käyttöönto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- tehdä kykeneväksito give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- mahdollistaato give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- antaa lupato give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- mahdollistaato make something possible
- antaa tekosyyto allow a way out or excuse for an action
- salliato allow a way out or excuse for an action
French activer, permettre
- activerto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- permettreto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- autoriserto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- permettreto make something possible
- permettreto allow a way out or excuse for an action
German aktivieren, einschalten
- aktivierento activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- einschaltento activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- (jemanden) berechtigento give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- befähigento give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- ermöglichento make something possible
- anordnento allow a way out or excuse for an action
Greek ενεργοποιώ, επιτρέπω
- ενεργοποιώ (energopoió)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- επιτρέπω (epitrépo)to allow a way out or excuse for an action
Hindi सक्रिय करना, चालू करना
- सक्रिय करना (sakriya karnā)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- चालू करना (cālū karnā)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Hungarian bekapcsol, aktivál
- bekapcsolto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- aktiválto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- engedélyezto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- felhatalmazto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- feljogosítto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- lehetővé teszto make something possible
Icelandic gera virkt
- gera virktto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Indonesian mengaktifkan, memfungsikan
- mengaktifkanto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- memfungsikanto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- menghidupkanto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- memampukanto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
Italian attivare, abilitare
- attivareto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- abilitareto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- permettereto allow a way out or excuse for an action
Latin habilito
- habilitoto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
Latvian aktivizēt, ieslēgt
- aktivizētto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- ieslēgtto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Lithuanian aktyvinti, įjungti
- aktyvintito activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- įjungtito activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Malay menghidupkan, mengaktifkan
- menghidupkanto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- mengaktifkanto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Māori whakahohe, whakamana
- whakahoheto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- whakamanato give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- whakakahato give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- whakameato give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- whakaaheito make something possible
Persian فعال کردن, کناییدن
- فعال کردنto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- کناییدنto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Polish aktywować, włączać
- aktywowaćto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- włączaćto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- odblokowaćto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- uzdolnićto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- upełnomocnićto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- umożliwiaćto make something possible
- umożliwićto make something possible
Portuguese ativar, habilitar
- ativarto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- habilitarto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- habilitarto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- possibilitarto make something possible
Romanian activa
- activato activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Russian активи́ровать, включа́ть
- активи́ровать (aktivírovatʹ)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- включа́ть (vključátʹ)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- дава́ть возмо́жность (davátʹ vozmóžnostʹ)to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- уполномо́чивать (upolnomóčivatʹ)to give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
Scottish Gaelic thoir comas do, thoir cothrom do
- thoir comas doto make something possible
- thoir cothrom doto allow a way out or excuse for an action
Slovak zapnúť, aktivovať
- zapnúťto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- aktivovaťto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Spanish activar, habilitar
- activarto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- habilitarto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- habilitarto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- posibilitarto make something possible
Swahili kuwasha
- kuwashato activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Swedish aktivera, ge någon kraft
- aktiverato activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- ge någon kraftto give power, sanction or authorization to; to provide with abilities, means, opportunities
- möjliggörato make something possible
- möjliggörato allow a way out or excuse for an action
- ursäktato allow a way out or excuse for an action
Turkish etkinleştirmek
- etkinleştirmekto activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
Ukrainian активувати, вмикати
- активувати (aktyvuvaty)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- вмикати (vmykaty)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- включати (vključaty)to activate a function of an electronic or mechanical device
- уможли́влювати (umožlývljuvaty)to make something possible
- уможли́вити (umožlývyty)to make something possible
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with enable
tableablecablelabelunablestabledisableunstablefablesablebabelMabelgablevtablebistablechaebolrelabelastablechange tablechanging tablediaper tabledrink tableinablekettle cable
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
enable. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enable
MLA
“enable.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enable. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “enable,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/enable.
Source: enable on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.