enable, v.
(ɛˈneɪb(ə)l)
Forms: 5–6 enhable, -bel, 6 enhabile, inhable, -bile, 6–8 inable, 5– enable.
[f. en-1 + able a.: cf. able v.]
† 1. To invest with legal status; to habilitate.
| 1491 Act 7 Hen. VII, c. 20 Preamb., It was ordeyned..that..Lord Roos and his heires shuld be restored, enhabled and have all suche name, dignite, estate, preeminence. 1558 in Strype Ann. Ref. I. ii. App. v. 7 Your highness shall be from henceforth enabled in blood. 1570–87 Holinshed Scot. Chron. (1806) I. 199 Constantine..was..inabled as heire apparent to the crowne. 1615 Wadsworth in Bedell Lett. (1624) 11 The passions which..moued King Henrie..to disinherite Queene Mary, and enable Queene Elizabeth. 1622 Callis Stat. Sewers (1647) 193 Neither do the goods of the Church inable the Parson. 1721 Strype Eccl. Mem. II. i. xvi. 130 She was restored and enabled in blood. |
2. To authorize, sanction, empower; to give legal power or license to. Const. to with inf.
| 1526 Househ. Ord. 217 If the purveyor shall enable the Beer or Ale to be sent to the Court. 1535 Act 27 Hen. VIII, c. 10. §6 She shall be..inhabeled to pursue haue and demaunde her dower. 1642 Milton Argt. conc. Militia 11 The Law will inable the two Houses of Parliament to put the Kingdome into a posture of warre. 1745 in Col. Rec. Penn. V. 32 An ‘act to enable Jeremiah Langhorn..to build a Court House in the County of Bucks’. 1824 Marshall Constit. Opin. (1839) 303 Congress cannot enable a state to legislate. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 224 An act was..passed enabling beneficed clergymen..to hold preferment in England. |
† 3. a. To give power to (a person); to strengthen, make adequate or proficient. Obs. or arch.
| 1530 Palsgr. 532/1, I enable, I make good. 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) E vj, Now ye can enable his fleshe in good customes. 1581 Mulcaster Positions xli. (1887) 232 Exercise to enable the body. 1596 Spenser Irel. Wks. (1862) 523 The English Lords..greatly encouraged and inabled the Irish. 1626 T. H. Caussin's Holy Crt. 496 Her Father..enabled her in Philosophy, Rhetorique, Poesy, and the other Artes. 1638 O. Sedgwicke Serm. 97 By diligent practise so inable your selves, that, etc. 1652 Gaule Magastrom. 208 The devils..have a faculty and sagacity (both much enabled by long experience in things) above us men. 1888 Pall Mall. G. 20 Dec. 6 Irish stew, which is said to be very enabling as well as extremely ‘filling’. |
b. To impart to (a person or agent) power necessary or adequate for a given object; to make competent or capable. Const. for, to, unto. rare in mod. use.
| c 1460 Stans Puer in Babees Bk. (1868) 26 First thiself enable With all thin herte to vertuous disciplyne. 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 19 Euery thing..being inhabled therunto through a quickening vertue infused into it. 1613 Life Will. I in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793) 10 The people..were well enabled both with courage and skill, for all military atchievements. 1646 H. Lawrence Comm. Angells 154 It was all that Alexander had to inable him to the conquest of the world. 1705 Stanhope Paraph. III. 2 The great things, our Blessed Saviour hath done..are not intended to excuse his Followers from Action, but to enable them for it. 1853 Ruskin Stones Ven. III. ii. §26. 50 How much of it will enable us best for our work. |
c. To supply with the requisite means or opportunities to an end or for an object. Const. to with inf.
| 1531 Elyot Gov. i. iii, Vertue and lernynge do inhabile a man..to be thought worthy. 1597 I. T. Serm. Paules C. 33 God hath inhabled them to doe that great and weightie worke. 1611 Bible Pref. 1 We are enabled to informe others. 1650 Baxter Saints' R. i. vii. (1662) 74 They..freely send the Spirit to inable us to perform these conditions. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 218 A new Recruit of Spirits..inabled me to resume my Pen. 1770 Wesley Serm. lvi. Wks. 1811 IX. 2 God enabled him to awaken several young persons. 1839 Thirlwall Greece V. 281 A victory which he obtained over the Thebans enabled him to reduce Coronea. 1872 Morley Voltaire (1886) 51 A solitude..which enabled him to work better there. |
† 4. To regard as qualified or competent; to ascribe qualifications to. Obs. (Cf. disable in Shakes. A.Y.L. v. iv. 80.)
| 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 72 Euery one enhableth his owne goodes to deserve like dignitie with the beste. 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden I vj, That you may..be resolv'd what those good parts are you enable the Doctor for. |
5. a. To make possible or easy; also to give effectiveness to (an action).
| 1620 O. Sedgwicke Christ's Counsell 198 Things which will much availe to helpe and inable the remembrance of truths heard and received. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. (1703) II. vii. 332 Needful habiliments of War to enable our Defence. 1675 Sir M. Hale Contempl. i. (1969) 110 What are these divine truths which really and soundly believed doth inable the victory over the world. 1892 Daily News 2 Feb. 3/3 It will also enable the inclusion of others. 1902 A. Nutt Leg. Holy Grail 27 This has been held by some scholars to enable the dating of the romance. 1963 A. Heron Towards Quaker View of Sex iv. 42 What God asks he enables, provided only and always that we will to do his will. |
b. Esp. in Computing. To make (a device) operational, to turn on.
| 1962 Gloss. Terms Automatic Data Processing (B.S.I.) 63 Enabling signal, a signal which allows an operation to take place. 1972 Schmalz & Sippl Computer Gloss. for Students & Teachers 67/2 Enabled, the condition of an interrupt level wherein the level is not inhibited from advancing from the waiting state to the active state, except for priority considerations. 1981 Event 9 Oct. 28/2 Enable, vb. (military/computers), to arm a weapon or to make any electronic device operable. In short, to turn on. 1983 Tandy TRS-80 Microcomputer News July–Aug. 9/1 Both devices must be enabled in the system. 1986 Byte XI. 270/2 In the 2-MHz mode, you can only enable the 80-column screen. |
† 6. intr. for refl. To become able, gain strength or power. Obs. rare—1.
| c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 834 With stamped squylle embawme..And thai wol soone enable in that jointe. |