enabler
Americannoun
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a person or thing that enables something, or makes it possible.
Technology is a key enabler of efficiency and productivity.
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a person who enables or supports someone else’s bad or dysfunctional behavior.
His wife is an unwitting enabler who makes excuses for his drinking.
Usage
What does enabler mean? An enabler is someone who allows or makes it easier for someone to do what they shouldn’t. It’s especially used in the context of addiction and abuse. The verb enable is usually used in a positive or neutral way meaning to make possible or provide someone with the power, means, opportunity, or authority to do something. But the word enabler is almost always used in a critical way to refer to someone who allows, encourages, or makes it possible for another person to engage in behavior that’s harmful to others, such as abuse, or self-destructive, such as drug or alcohol abuse. For example, a parent who allows the other parent to abuse their children might be called an enabler. Example: He asked me to go out for one drink, but I don’t want to be an enabler, so I told him we could go to a movie instead.
Etymology
Origin of enabler
First recorded in 1610–20; 1975–80 enabler for def. 2
Explanation
An enabler is someone who makes it possible for something to happen — often, something negative or destructive. If your friend is trying to eat less sugar and you give him a bag of gummy bears every day, you're an enabler. Enabler has both positive and negative meanings, but it's the negative definition that is most common. Still, you can call someone an enabler if they help make something happen, or enable it: "My favorite teacher was the enabler who paved the way for me to go to college." The bad kind of enabler often provides cover or excuses for someone else's self-destructive behavior, making it easier for it to continue.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It's a fantastic recognition of the importance of the UK ceramics industry, how it is both a critical enabler of other industries but also essential to everyday life," he said.
From BBC • May 21, 2026
“We plan to be a key enabler of this transformation as we continue to grow our global network in low Earth orbit and expand available spectrum to our network.”
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
“Buen provecho,” she says, and I nod, thanking her for being my enabler.
From Salon • Feb. 5, 2026
Even the key enabler of today’s AI industry seems to agree.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
“Uh, yeah, Mickey, I can. Speaking of which, we need to talk. Do you know what an enabler is?”
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
