Enable Meaning
/ɪˈneɪ.bəl/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
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 affirm; to make firm and strong.
Sentence Examples
This bird's large wings enable it to fly very fast.
This would enable us to compete more effectively with other agencies.
This new programme will enable older people to study at college.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
New technology will ____ doctors to diagnose diseases much faster.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
This new software will ____ users to work much more efficiently.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English enablen, equivalent to en- + able.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"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:
"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:
"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:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
New technology will ____ doctors to diagnose diseases much faster.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
This new software will ____ users to work much more efficiently.