enablev.
/ᵻˈneɪbl/, /ɛˈneɪbl/, U.S. /ᵻˈneɪb(ə)l/, /ɛˈneɪb(ə)l/ΘΚΠ
society > law > legal capacity > invest with legal status or capacity [verb (transitive)]
able1409
enable1491
capacitate1657
qualify1667
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 J. Strype Ann. Reformation (1709) I. ii. App. v. 7 Your highness shall be from henceforth enabled in blood.
1577 R. Holinshed Hist. Scotl. 132/2 in Chron. I Constantine..was..enabled as heyre apparaunt to the crowne.
1615 J. Wadsworth Let. 1 Apr. in W. Bedell Lett. (1624) 11 The passions which..moued King Henrie..to disinherite Queene Mary, and enable Queene Elizabeth.
a1642 R. Callis Reading of Statute of Sewers (1647) iv. 193 Neither do the goods of the Church inable the Parson.
1721 J. Strype Eccl. Memorials 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 infinitive.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > lack of subjection > permission > permit [verb (transitive)] > permit authoritatively
allowa1325
congeea1387
authorizea1425
enable1526
licentc1540
warrant1578
broad-seal1601
licentiate1632
ratihabit1678
sanction1797
fiat1831
officializea1832
facultate1878
1526 in Coll. Ordinances Royal Househ. (1790) 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 J. March Argument Militia 11 The Law will..inable the two Houses of Parliament, to put the Kingdome into a posture of warre.
1745 in Colonial Rec. Pennsylvania (1851) V. 32 An ‘act to enable Jeremiah Langhorn..to build a Court House in the County of Bucks’.
1824 J. Marshall Writings upon Federal Constit. (1839) 303 Congress cannot enable a state to legislate.
1855 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. III. 224 An act was..passed enabling beneficed clergymen..to hold preferment in England.
a. To give power to (a person); to strengthen, make adequate or proficient. Obsolete or archaic.
ΚΠ
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 532/1 I enable, I make good.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1546) sig. E.vj Now ye can enable his fleshe in good customes.
1581 R. Mulcaster Positions xli. 234 Exercise to enable the body.
a1599 E. Spenser View State Ireland 45 in J. Ware Two Hist. Ireland (1633) The English Lords..greatly incouraged, and inabled the Irish.
1626 T. Hawkins tr. N. Caussin Holy Court I. v. 496 Her Father..enabled her in Philosophy, Rhetorique, Poesy, and the other Artes.
1639 O. Sedgwick Mil. Discipl. 97 By diligent practise so inable your selves, that, etc.
1652 J. Gaule Πυς-μαντια 208 The devils..have a faculty, and sagacity (both much enabled by long experience in things) above us men.
1888 Pall Mall Gaz. 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 modern use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > ability > be capable of [verb (transitive)] > enable or capacitate
allow?c1450
enablea1500
habilitate1604
abilitatea1628
empower1648
capacitate1657
capacifya1677
sufficientize1693
a1500 J. Lydgate Stans Puer (Jesus Cambr.) in Babees Bk. (2002) i. 26 First thiself enable With all thin herte to vertuous disciplyne.
1594 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. II. 19 Euery thing..being inhabled therunto through a quickening vertue infused into it.
1613 J. Hayward Liues III. Normans 50 The people..were well inabled both in courage and skill, for all Militarie atchieuements.
1646 H. Lawrence Of Communion & Warre with Angels 154 It was all that Alexander had to inable him to the conquest of the world.
1705 G. Stanhope Paraphr. 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 J. Ruskin Stones of Venice III. ii. 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 infinitive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > instrumentality > render instrumental [verb (transitive)] > supply with means
enable1531
1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. iii. sig. Bviv Vertue and lernynge do inhabile a man..to be thought of all men worthy.
1597 J. Tanner Serm. Paules Crosse (new ed.) 33 God hath inhabled them to doe that great and weightie worke.
1611 M. Smith in Bible (King James) Transl. Pref. 1 We are enabled to informe others.
1650 R. Baxter Saints Everlasting Rest (1662) i. vii. 74 They..freely send the Spirit to inable us to perform these conditions.
1741 S. Richardson Pamela III. xxxii. 218 A new Recruit of Spirits..inabled me to resume my Pen.
1770 J. Wesley Serm. lvi, in Wks. (1811) IX. 2 God enabled him to awaken several young persons.
1839 C. Thirlwall Hist. Greece (new ed.) V. 281 A victory which he obtained over the Thebans enabled him to reduce Coronea.
1872 J. Morley Voltaire ii. 48 A solitude..which enabled him to work there better.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > [verb (transitive)] > as qualified or competent
enable1553
be-qualify1601
1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique 72 Euery one enhableth his owne goodes to deserve like dignitie with the beste.
1596 T. Nashe Haue with you to Saffron-Walden sig. Iv That you may..be resolu'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).
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > easiness > find no difficulty in [verb (transitive)] > make possible to be done
enable1640
possibilitate1818
opportune1980
1640 O. Sedgwick Christs Counsell 198 Things which will much availe to helpe and inable the remembrance of truths heard and received.
1676 M. Hale Contempl. Moral & Divine 269 What are those divine truths which being really and soundly believed doth enable the victory over the world.
1703 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion II. vii. 332 Needful habiliments of War to enable our Defence.
1892 Daily News 2 Feb. 3/3 It will also enable the inclusion of others.
1902 A. Nutt Legends 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.
ΘΚΠ
society > computing and information technology > hardware > use hardware [verb (transitive)] > make operational
enable1962
boot1980
1962 Gloss. Terms Automatic Data Processing (B.S.I.) 63 Enabling signal, a signal which allows an operation to take place.
1972 L. C. Schmalz & C. J. 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.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > bodily constitution > bodily strength > become strong (of the body or its parts) [verb (intransitive)]
prevaila1398
stiff1399
enablec1420
storkenc1425
c1420 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 834 With stamped squylle embawme..And thai wol soone enable in that jointe.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1891; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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