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# enable

«enable» in Mova's school dictionary: **to make it possible for someone or something to do something** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples.

### part of speech

verb (enable, enables, enabled, enabling)

### meaning for a pupil

1) To enable means to make it possible for someone or something to do something. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#m1)

2) To enable a setting on a computer or phone means to turn it on. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#m2)

3) (informal, disapproving) To enable someone can mean to help them keep doing something bad for them. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science and technology: lungs enable us to breathe; enable location on a tablet. In formal writing and exam questions: "This enables us to find the area." Phrases: enable someone to do, enable cookies, enabled by.

### examples

- Glasses enable my grandad to read. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#x1)
- Wings enable birds to fly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#x2)
- Enable Bluetooth to connect the speaker. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#x3)
- The ramp enables wheelchair users to get in. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#x4)
- Knowing the length and width enables you to find the area. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#x5)
- Money from the fair enabled the school to buy books. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#x6)
- “But 'tis the air which enables thee to breathe,” said the poet's voice. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/#x7)

### note

Pattern: enable someone/something to + verb. Opposite: disable (turn off; stop working). Adjective: enabled. It is a little formal; in everyday talk say "let" or "help".

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «enable» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/enable/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.