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Enable vs Disable - What's the difference?

enable | disable |

Disable is a antonym of enable.



As verbs the difference between enable and disable

is that enable is to give strength or ability to; to make firm and strong while disable is to render unable; to take away an ability of.

As an adjective disable is

lacking ability; unable.

enable

English

(Webster 1913)

Verb

(enabling) (enabl)
  • To give strength or ability to; to make firm and strong.
  • * 1611 , King James Bible , "1 Tim. i. 12"
  • Who hath enabled me.
  • 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.
  • * 1711 , October 13, (Joseph Addison), (The Spectator) , number 195
  • Temperance gives Nature her full play, and enables her to exert herself in all her force and vigor.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=72-3, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= A punch in the gut , passage=Mostly, the microbiome is beneficial. It helps with digestion and enables people to extract a lot more calories from their food than would otherwise be possible. Research over the past few years, however, has implicated it in diseases from atherosclerosis to asthma to autism.}}
  • To allow a way out or excuse for an action.
  • Antonyms

    * disable

    Derived terms

    * enabler * enablement * re-enable * reenable

    Anagrams

    *

    disable

    English

    Verb

    (disabl)
  • To render unable; to take away an ability of.
  • (chiefly, of a person) To impair the physical or mental abilities of; to cause a serious, permanent injury.
  • Falling off the horse disabled him.
  • to deactivate a function of an electronical or mechanical device.
  • The pilot had to disable the autopilot of his airplane.

    Antonyms

    * enable

    Derived terms

    * disablement

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Lacking ability; unable.
  • * Daniel
  • Our disable and unactive force.

    Anagrams

    *