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
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.
"Who's next? We will not stop until every co-conspirator, every enabler, and every powerful figure who hid behind wealth and connections is held fully accountable. No one is above the law."
From BBC
Just like the exchanges, BitGo is an ‘enabler’ for the asset class.”
From Barron's
"Robert is guilty, sure. Dale and all the enablers are guilty also," he added.
From BBC
"This represents a significant shift from earlier AI enthusiasm, which focused primarily on technology enablers rather than potential losers," he added.
From Barron's
"A UK police investigation into Kate's plight could reveal Epstein's enablers in Britain, and might also discover whether his friends protected him from a UK investigation," Brown said.
From BBC
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.
