B2 noun Neutral

enable

/ɪˈneɪ.bəl/

To provide someone with the means, authority, or opportunity to do something. It also means to make a process or a system possible or operational.

Examples

3 of 5
1

The new kitchen gadgets enable her to cook complex meals much faster.

The new tools allow her to prepare difficult dishes more quickly.

2

The grant was designed to enable the university to build a new research facility.

The funding was intended to allow the school to construct a new lab.

3

This shortcut will enable you to skip the long intro in the video game.

This trick helps you bypass the long opening sequence.

Word Family

Noun
enablement
Verb
enable
Adjective
enabling
Related
enabler
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Memory Tip

Look at the word: En + Able. The prefix 'en-' means 'to make'. So, 'enable' literally means 'to make able'.

Quick Quiz

The new scholarship will _______ students from low-income families to attend university.

Correct!

The correct answer is: enable

Examples

1

The new kitchen gadgets enable her to cook complex meals much faster.

everyday

The new tools allow her to prepare difficult dishes more quickly.

2

The grant was designed to enable the university to build a new research facility.

formal

The funding was intended to allow the school to construct a new lab.

3

This shortcut will enable you to skip the long intro in the video game.

informal

This trick helps you bypass the long opening sequence.

4

Advanced algorithms enable the software to predict market trends with high accuracy.

academic

Complex math allows the program to forecast economic shifts precisely.

5

Our cloud solutions enable remote teams to collaborate in real-time.

business

Our online tools allow distant employees to work together instantly.

Word Family

Noun
enablement
Verb
enable
Adjective
enabling
Related
enabler

Common Collocations

enable someone to do something to provide someone with the ability to perform an action
enable growth to make development or expansion possible
enable access to provide a way to reach or enter something
highly enabling providing a lot of support or resources
enable a feature to turn on a specific function in a program

Common Phrases

enable the way

to clear obstacles to allow progress

enabling environment

a situation that makes it easy for something to happen

tech-enabled

supported or made possible by technology

Often Confused With

enable vs allow

'Allow' focuses on permission (giving the 'OK'), whereas 'enable' focuses on capacity or providing the tools to succeed.

enable vs enabler

While 'enable' is usually positive, 'enabler' is often used negatively in psychology to describe someone who inadvertently helps someone continue a self-destructive habit.

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Usage Notes

The most common grammatical structure is 'enable + object + to-infinitive'. It is frequently used in technical, business, and academic contexts to describe how one thing makes another thing possible.

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Common Mistakes

Learners often forget the 'to' in the infinitive. For example, they might say 'enable him do' instead of the correct 'enable him to do'.

💡

Memory Tip

Look at the word: En + Able. The prefix 'en-' means 'to make'. So, 'enable' literally means 'to make able'.

📖

Word Origin

From the Middle English prefix 'en-' (meaning to cause to be) and the adjective 'able'.

Grammar Patterns

Verb + Object + to + Infinitive Present participle used as an adjective (enabling) Can be used in passive voice (is enabled by)
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Cultural Context

In the technology sector, 'enable' is the standard term for activating a setting or feature on a device or software.

Quick Quiz

The new scholarship will _______ students from low-income families to attend university.

Correct!

The correct answer is: enable

Related Phrases

Related Words

enurber

C1

A person who has recently moved to a city or who is in the process of adapting to an urban lifestyle and environment. It is primarily used in sociological or test-specific contexts to describe the demographic shift of individuals from rural to metropolitan areas.

peritactist

C1

A specialist or researcher who focuses on the sense of touch and tactile communication systems. This person typically studies how humans perceive information through physical contact, often in the context of assistive technology or haptic feedback.

homocadile

C1

A homocadile is a specialized taxonomic classification used in evolutionary biology to describe organisms that exhibit both hominid-like developmental patterns and reptilian skeletal structures. It is frequently cited in theoretical models to analyze potential pathways of convergent evolution between distant biological lineages.

homopotence

C1

To equalize or standardize the power, potency, or effective influence of different elements within a system. It is primarily used in technical or theoretical contexts to describe the process of making disparate components operate with uniform strength.

contrastrictity

C1

Describing a state or quality characterized by contrasting and restrictive forces or boundaries. It refers to the tension produced when a system or situation is simultaneously pulled by opposing limitations.

interfactity

C1

To systematically link and verify various factual data points to create a unified and cohesive information network. It involves the process of cross-referencing disparate facts to ensure they function together logically within a specific framework.

unisolious

C1

Refers to a structure or arrangement consisting of a single layer, row, or series. It is used in technical or formal contexts to describe something that is not stratified or multifaceted.

autofundcide

C1

To deliberately terminate or exhaust one's own funding sources or budget, typically through internal mismanagement or a strategic decision to withdraw support. It describes an entity that effectively 'kills' its own financial lifeblood through internal actions rather than external market pressures.

synmissfy

C1

A synmissfy is a systematic and synchronized omission of data or errors across multiple channels, often used in stress-testing environments. It refers to a state where gaps in information occur simultaneously to reveal underlying structural vulnerabilities.

macrotentship

C1

Describing a large-scale, all-encompassing framework or organizational structure that provides a broad sense of protection, inclusion, or governance for diverse sub-entities. It refers to systems that function like an expansive 'big tent,' prioritizing holistic coverage over individual detail.

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