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.

Verb

(en verb)

To make something soft or softer.

Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.

To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up ).

Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.

To make less harsh

Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.

* '>citation

To become soft or softer

The butter softened as it warmed up.