enabling

American  

[en-ey-bling] / ɛnˈeɪ blɪŋ /

adjective

Law.

1. conferring additional legal powers or capacities, especially by removing a barrier to action, suspending required permission, or relaxing oversight: enabling power.

   an enabling act;

   enabling power.

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Etymology

Origin of enabling

First recorded in 1670–80; enable + -ing ²

Explanation

Enabling is a term used for laws that confer legal powers to someone or something. An enabling act makes it possible for authorities to take action. One meaning of the verb enable is "to provide with legal powers," so the adjective formed by adding -ing gets used to describe legislation that has that empowering effect. When new American states were formed out of frontier territories, they could either organize statehood themselves, or they could be admitted into the Union through an "enabling act" of Congress.

Example Sentences

"By enabling robust nonreciprocal quantum synchronization, our research paves the way for realizing more reliable quantum processors and protected quantum resources," comments Lai.

From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026

SpaceX essentially created the modern space economy by pioneering reusable rockets, which dramatically lowered the cost of reaching orbit, enabling applications like space-based cellphone connectivity.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

‘At some point, Angelenos must ask what we are willing to tolerate. A city cannot recover while its leaders keep enabling the conditions eroding public life,’ writes an L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

Perhaps, with new technologies and methods of analysis, they can become even rarer, enabling economics to shed the image of a dismal science.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

For rescuing the royal treasury and enabling Zosma to pay its army and avoid war?

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• permissive