What does it mean to enable something

Enable Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

en·able i-ˈnā-bəl

transitive verb

: to provide with the means or opportunity

training that enables people to earn a living

: to make possible, practical, or easy

a deal that would enable passage of a new law

: to cause to operate

software that enables the keyboard

: to give legal power, capacity, or sanction to

a law enabling admission of a state

Did you know?

Enable has a number of senses, most of which are some variant on allowing someone (or something, such as enabling cookies on a computer) to do something. In the past several decades, enable has also started to take on a new associated sense in the field of addiction studies, where enabling is viewed as giving misguided support to a person with some substance-abuse issue. A person who facilitates the self-destructive behavior of another is referred to as an enabler.

Synonyms

allow
empower
let
permit

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Example Sentences

The machine enables us to create copies without losing quality. The system enables students to access class materials online. These choices are part of what enabled the company to be successful. a filing system that enables easy access to information Be sure to enable your computer's firewall.

Recent Examples on the Web And it’s won a lot of other spirits and design industry awards that enable us to get that sort of cost for it. —IEEE Spectrum, 29 Mar. 2023 The yacht is equipped with twin Caterpillar engines good for just over 2,600 hp each that enable a top speed of approximately 17 knots. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2023 The text is routed through a telephone and computer network that enables health workers like Leydi Rodríguez to see it. —Jeneen Interlandi, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2023 The mayor, like many people here, spoke of the close family ties that enable users and prevents them from entering rehab. —Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2023 Raw materials are the fundamental resources that enable the production of a broad range of consumer goods, construction materials, transportation equipment and more. —Sandro Shubladze, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2023 Some officials announced setting up recruitment centers with the goal of getting men to sign contracts that enable them to be sent into combat as professional soldiers. —Dasha Litvinova, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Mar. 2023 It’s being driven in large part by changes in technology that have enabled business owners to more easily shift the costs of compensating workers directly to customers. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 25 Mar. 2023 Airline alliances are partnerships among carriers that enable them to share resources and collaborate for the benefit of both travelers and airlines. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 25 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enable. ' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of enable was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near

enable

en-

enable

enabler

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“Enable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enable. Accessed 7 Apr. 2023.

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Kids Definition

enable

verb

en·able in-ˈā-bəl

: to make able

glasses enable you to read

: to make possible, practical, or easy

: to give legal power or permission to

Enable Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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British

This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

[ en-ey-buhl ]

/ ɛnˈeɪ bəl /

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See synonyms for: enable / enabled / enables / enabling on Thesaurus.com

This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used with object), en·a·bled, en·a·bling.

to make able; give power, means, competence, or ability to: This document will enable him to pass through the enemy lines unmolested.Students with vision impairments are enabled in the classroom with magnifiers and screen reader software.

to make possible or easy: Aeronautics enables us to overcome great distances.

to encourage or support (the bad or dysfunctional behavior) of (someone): The university enabled years of abuse by ignoring complaints against the coach. You enable drug users when you shield them from the consequences of their actions.

Digital Technology.

to make (a device, system, or feature) active or functional; turn on: The automatic snapshot feature is enabled by default.
to equip for an extended, peripheral, or premium use: to enable your laptop for wireless internet access.

OTHER WORDS FOR enable

1 empower, qualify, allow, permit.

See synonyms for enable on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

Origin of enable

First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English; see en-¹, able

OTHER WORDS FROM enable

en·a·bler, nounpre·en·a·ble, verb (used with object), pre·en·a·bled, pre·en·a·bling.

Words nearby enable

emu oil, emu parade, emu-wren, EMV, en, enable, enabled, enabler, enabling, enabling act, enact

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to enable

empower, facilitate, implement, permit, set up, accredit, approve, capacitate, commission, condition, endow, fit, invest, let, license, prepare, qualify, ready, sanction, warrant

How to use enable in a sentence

As your product evolves, you can enable different modules from the plugin marketplace.
Datadog to acquire application security management platform Sqreen|Romain Dillet|February 12, 2021|TechCrunch
Vaccine tourism also has the potential to exacerbate the socioeconomic and racial inequalities that have persisted during the pandemic, enabling the rich and privileged to gain access to life-saving vaccines ahead of everyone else.
Don’t hate the vaccine tourists, hate the vaccine game|Jen Kirby|February 12, 2021|Vox
They want to enable us to perfectly save and relive our favorite memories.
New technology can get inside your head. Are you ready?|Laura Sanders|February 11, 2021|Science News For Students
It enabled them to decipher contracts, build businesses, engage in politics and influence social issues that affected their lives.
My great-grandmother Ida B. Wells left a legacy of activism in education. We need that now.|Michelle Duster|February 11, 2021|Washington Post

Access to the internet, having an internet-enabled device and understanding how to use both have been necessary to sign up for the vaccine.
One big hiccup in US efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines? Poor internet access.|By Tamra Burns Loeb, Et Al./The Conversation|February 10, 2021|Popular-Science
“There was great reception,” Drew jokes, adding that perhaps he and his girlfriend, a fellow workaholic, enable each other.
How the Property Brothers Became Your Mom’s Favorite TV Stars|Kevin Fallon|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course, beyond tasting good, these chips make great platforms—the deep ridges enable them to hold dips effectively.
The Latest in High-Tech Chips||September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Nonviolent subjects were easier to rule and more likely to provide the revenue and manpower that would enable further conquest.
War! What Is It Good For? A Lot|Nick Romeo|August 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Even if their oxygen masks had deployed, there is a microphone in the masks to enable them to send a distress call.

Passenger Flights Must Stop Carrying Lithium-Ion Batteries as Cargo|Clive Irving|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And do we not yearn to do as they did: enable America to “find its ‘greatness’ again”?
Embodying Franklin Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms Remains a Vital Challenge|Harvey J. Kaye|April 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As a rule, however, even in the case of extreme varieties, a careful examination of the specimen will enable it to be identified.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
He had, however, recovered sufficiently to enable him to act with promptitude and discretion.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
Relieved when she entered, she was again struck with fear when Phœbe Chiffinch had come near enough to enable her to see her face.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The great abilities which enable a man to win and hold such a position as his fired my fancy.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
At length he thought of “Cattle” as a figure word to enable him to remember the number.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)

British Dictionary definitions for enable

enable

/ (ɪnˈeɪbəl) /

verb (tr)

to provide (someone) with adequate power, means, opportunity, or authority (to do something)

to make possible

to put (a digital electronic circuit element) into an operative condition by supplying a suitable input pulse

Derived forms of enable

enablement, nounenabler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Using Shazam on Android devices

Use Shazam to identify the music that plays on the radio, in the store, on your device (including when using headphones), or anywhere else.

Your previous shazams are stored in the library, where you can browse songs and discover new music. You can also create a Shazam account to save all your Shazams in case something happens to your device.

Music detection with Shazam

To identify music with Shazam:

Open the Shazam app on your device, then tap the Shazam button.
Tap and hold the Shazam icon in the app drawer, then tap Shazam Now.

When Shazam recognizes a song, it is stored in the Shazam library.

Once the song is defined, you can connect to Apple Music and other music services to listen to Shazam.

If you don't have an internet connection, the app still creates a unique fingerprint to match against the Shazam database the next time your device connects to the internet. If a song cannot be determined, it will be removed from the Shazam waiting list.

Using Auto Shazam

To have Shazam automatically detect the music that is playing around you, turn on Auto Shazam.

Tap and hold the Shazam icon in the app tray, then tap Auto Shazam.
Open the Shazam app on your device, then press and hold the Shazam button.

When Auto Shazam is on, Shazam matches the music you play with songs in the Shazam database even when you switch to another app. Shazam never saves or stores music.

Shazams defined by the application in Auto Shazam mode can then be found grouped by date in the library.

To turn off Auto Shazam, press the Shazam button.

Using the notification panel with swipe and tap gestures to identify music

When using another application, you can access Shazam in the notification panel to identify the music that is playing.

Swipe down to see Shazam in the notification bar.
Click Shazam to start detecting music.
To close the notification bar, go to your Shazam library, tap the settings button, then turn off Shazam from notification bar.

Using the Pop-Up Shazam feature to identify music

Open the Shazam app, go to the library and press the settings button.
Enable the Shazam from Pop-Up option, click Go To Settings, then enable the Allow display over other apps option.
When using another application, press the Shazam pop-up button to determine the music played in that application.
To remove a popup button, drag it to the X at the bottom of the screen.

To return the pop-up button, swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the notification. If Shazam from notification bar is not enabled, open the Shazam app and start defining a composition. While Shazam is composing, put the app in the background. A pop-up button will appear on the screen.

Additional ways to identify music

You can use Shazam on your Wear OS device to identify songs.
In the Shazam settings, enable the Shazam on startup setting to automatically detect music when the app is opened.

Search for previous shazams

You can find your previous shazams in the library. In the Shazam app, swipe the screen or tap the corresponding button to go to the library.

To remove a shazam, click the More button next to that shazam in your library and click Remove from your library.

You can also save your Shazams so you don't lose them if something happens to your device.

Saving Shazams

To save Shazams, create an account with your Google account or email address.

In Shazam, go to your library and tap the settings button.
Click Sign Up or Sign In.
To sign in with your Google account, click Sign In With Google and follow the prompts.
To sign in with an email address:
- Click Sign In With Email and enter your email address.
- Check your email using the same device, then click Confirm in the email. If you didn't receive an email, tap Resend in the Shazam app, or start over.

To access your recent Shazams on any device, sign in to www.shazam.com/en/myshazam using the same account on your Mac, Windows computer, or the Shazam app on another Android device.

Deleting a Shazam account

In Shazam, go to your library, then tap the settings button.
Scroll all the way down the settings screen and tap Log Out.
If you use Shazam on other devices, sign out of Shazam on those devices.
Go to shazam.com/en/privacy.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Delete Account".
Sign in with the account you want to delete.
Scroll to the bottom of the Delete Account page and click Delete Account. All personally identifiable information from connected services will be deleted within 30 days.

Get a copy of your Shazam data

Go to shazam.com/en/privacy.
Click Download My Data.
Log in to the account for which you want to get a copy of the data and follow the instructions.
Enter the email address to send your data to, then click Submit Data. You will receive your data by email within 30 days.

Additional Information

Information about non-Apple products or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple is not intended to be endorsement or recommendation. Apple is not responsible for the selection, functionality, or use of third party websites or products. Apple is also not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of information posted on third party websites. Contact the supplier for more information.

Publication date: September 09, 2022

Mute and unmute the microphone during a Skype for Business meeting or call

During a Skype for Business meeting or call, you may need to mute and unmute the microphone several times. You can do this in the Skype for Business meeting window, or on your phone if you're joining the meeting by phone. (When using Lync on your mobile phone, you can turn the microphone on and off from your phone.)

Before making a call or joining a Skype for Business meeting, check that the microphone is working properly and adjust the volume and sound quality as needed. For more information about how to fix sound issues in Windows, see Set up and test sound in Skype for Business.

Mute or unmute the microphone in a Skype for Business meeting or call window

Sometimes when connecting to a Skype for Business meeting, the microphone is disabled by default.

If the sound is muted, the button Mute microphone looks like .

When you want to say something, press the Mute button to unmute the microphone. The button will change to : you can now speak.

Note: You can also use mute on laptops, keyboards, or USB headsets to mute or unmute the microphone and speakers. Be aware that the meeting organizer will sometimes mute the audience's microphones. In this case, you will not be able to turn on your microphone.

Mute and unmute the microphone on the telephone

If you joined a Skype for Business meeting using your phone, you can use the mute or unmute buttons on your phone. In addition, you can use tone commands, such as *6 to mute or unmute the microphone.

Press *1 on your phone for a list and description of all available commands for your account.

Note: When you join a Skype for Business meeting from your phone, the microphone is turned on by default. Mute your microphone when not speaking.

What to do if the mute button is inactive

The mute button on a laptop or phone may be disabled during a meeting, preventing you from unmuting the microphone. This can happen for various reasons.

The meeting organizer can mute their audience's microphones. This will disable the mute button for all meeting participants until the host unmutes the microphones. This situation is described in detail later in this article.
Skype for Business may not be able to access your phone's microphone. To resolve this issue, go to the settings for the Skype for Business app on your phone and make sure that the app is allowed to use the microphone.
Skype for Business may not be able to detect the microphone due to device issues. For more information on this issue, see Troubleshoot audio and video problems in Skype for Business

Mute and unmute audience microphones in a Skype for Business meeting

If you are a presenter, you can mute or unmute meeting participants individually or in groups to eliminate background noise.

To mute an individual user, right-click the Mute icon next to their name (in Conversation view) or above their picture (in Gallery view) and select Mute . The user will be notified that their microphone is muted.

You can right-click the microphone icon again to unmute the user's microphone. The user will be prompted to unmute the microphone.
To mute all users, click Participant Actions > Mute Audience .

All participants in the meeting, including those using a telephone, will be muted. To unmute the microphones, press 9 again0151 Participant actions followed by Turn on audience microphones .

Having problems?

The most common problem is that when the microphone is turned on and off during a meeting, the user hears long voice announcements. These notifications can interfere with and prevent you from participating in a conversation. By default, Skype for Business plays a short beep when the microphone is muted and does not play anything when it is turned on. If you want to remove the default Skype for Business microphone mute notification sound, follow these steps:

Right-click the speaker icon on the taskbar and select Sound .
Scroll through the Program Events list to navigate to the Skype for Business section.
Click Mute sound and then in the drop-down list Sound select (none) and press OK .

If you hear anything other than the default short beep when you turn off the microphone, or anything when you turn on the microphone, your headset is most likely playing additional voice messages. To disable these messages, you need to change your headset settings. Some headsets come with control software that makes this easy. See the headset manufacturer's knowledge base for more information.

If you're experiencing other audio issues during a meeting, see Troubleshoot audio and video problems in Skype for Business.

Learn more about audio in Skype for Business:

Learn more

What does it mean to enable something

Enable Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

More from Merriam-Webster on

equivocal

Enable Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

OTHER WORDS FOR enable

Origin of enable

OTHER WORDS FROM enable

Words nearby enable

Words related to enable

How to use enable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for enable

Derived forms of enable

Using Shazam on Android devices

Music detection with Shazam

Using Auto Shazam

Using the notification panel with swipe and tap gestures to identify music

Using the Pop-Up Shazam feature to identify music

Additional ways to identify music

Search for previous shazams

Saving Shazams

Deleting a Shazam account

Get a copy of your Shazam data

Additional Information

Mute and unmute the microphone during a Skype for Business meeting or call

Mute or unmute the microphone in a Skype for Business meeting or call window

Mute and unmute the microphone on the telephone

What to do if the mute button is inactive

Mute and unmute audience microphones in a Skype for Business meeting

Having problems?

Learn more about audio in Skype for Business: