enabling
enabling — verb
1. giving a person the skills, tools, or chance they need so that they can do somet
giving a person the skills, tools, or chance they need so that they can do something they could not do before
A small grant from the city is enabling Talia to open her bakery next spring.
enabling + person + to-infinitive (cause–opportunity pattern)
The new ramp is enabling wheelchair users to enter the library without help.
enabling + plural person noun + to-infinitive
Free evening classes are enabling Selim to study English while keeping his day job.
Soft contact lenses have been enabling Hari to play tennis without breaking his glasses.
A flexible work schedule is enabling Meera to care for her young daughter at home.
- empowering
stronger; focuses on giving confidence and control, not just opportunity
- helping
weaker and more general; doesn't imply the help is what makes the action possible
- allowing
overlaps but stresses permission rather than new capacity
- preventing
actively stops the person from doing the action
- hindering
makes the action much harder but not always impossible
文法句型
enable + person + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Subject is usually a resource, support, or change in conditions; object is the person who gains the new ability. Almost always followed by 'to' + bare infinitive.
常見錯誤
2. making something able to happen or be done when it would otherwise be too hard,
making something able to happen or be done when it would otherwise be too hard, too slow, or out of reach
GPS technology is enabling much faster delivery across rural Vietnam.
enabling + abstract noun phrase (no person object)
Cheaper solar panels are enabling small villages to switch from diesel to clean power.
enabling + collective + to-infinitive (institutional subject)
The new bridge is enabling year-round travel between the two mountain towns.
Online translation tools are enabling quick communication between hospitals and refugee families.
A simple change in the recipe is enabling the bakery to sell its bread to schools.
- facilitating
more formal; suggests smoothing the process, not strictly making it possible
- allowing
neutral overlap; sometimes implies permission rather than capacity
- supporting
weaker; the action could still happen without the support
- blocking
actively stops the action or process
- preventing
removes the possibility entirely
文法句型
enable + noun phrase
enable + something + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 by what follows: sense 1 takes a person as object ('enabling Talia to…'); sense 2 takes an event, process, or institution as object ('enabling faster delivery', 'enabling villages to switch'). Often appears in news writing about technology and policy.
常見錯誤
3. switching a machine or computer feature into a working state so that it can be u
switching a machine or computer feature into a working state so that it can be used
Enabling two-factor login on your phone takes about three minutes.
enabling + technical noun (gerund as subject)
Xiu spent the morning enabling the new printer for everyone in the office.
Quan is enabling night mode on every laptop before the school day ends.
Enabling Bluetooth on the old radio brought music from her phone within seconds.
- activating
near-identical in tech contexts; slightly more formal
- turning on
everyday phrasing; preferred in spoken English
- switching on
British-leaning; everyday register
- disabling
the standard pair in software and device contexts
文法句型
enable + feature / setting / device
用法筆記
Object is typically a setting, feature, function, or device — not a person. The opposite is 'disabling' (turning the feature off). Common in software instructions and IT support contexts.
常見錯誤
4. giving an official body the legal right or formal authority to do something it c
giving an official body the legal right or formal authority to do something it could not previously do
The new act is enabling the city council to collect a small tourist tax from hotels.
enabling + institutional body + to-infinitive (legal sense)
Parliament passed enabling legislation, allowing the agency to inspect private clinics.
fixed phrase: enabling legislation / enabling act
The treaty is enabling member states to share criminal records across borders.
A short amendment is enabling local schools to keep a portion of the lottery funds.
- authorising
near-identical in legal contexts; British spelling 'authorising', US 'authorizing'
- empowering
common in policy writing; slightly broader
- sanctioning
more formal; stresses official approval
- prohibiting
withdraws or refuses the legal right
文法句型
enabling + body / authority + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Only sense that pairs with the fixed legal phrases 'enabling act' and 'enabling legislation'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the subject is a law, treaty, or statute, and the object is an institution rather than an individual person.