The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
v. To supply with the means, knowledge, or opportunity; make able: a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch; techniques that enable surgeons to open and repair the heart.
v. To make feasible or possible: funds that will enable construction of new schools.
v. To give legal power, capacity, or sanction to: a law enabling the new federal agency.
v. To make operational; activate: enabled the computer's modem; enable a nuclear warhead.
v. To give strength or ability to; to make firm and strong.
v. To make able (to do, or to be, something); to confer sufficient power upon; to furnish with means, opportunities, and the like; to render competent for; to empower; to endow.
v. To allow a way out or excuse for an action.
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
v. To give strength or ability to; to make firm and strong.
v. To make able (to do, or to be, something); to confer sufficient power upon; to furnish with means, opportunities, and the like; to render competent for; to empower; to endow.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
To make able; furnish with adequate power, ability, means, or authority; render competent.
To put in an efficient state or condition; endow; equip; fit out.
Synonyms To empower, qualify, capacitate.
To give ability or competency.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.