Present participle of enable, meaning making something possible or giving someone the authority or means to do something. Can have positive connotations of empowerment or negative ones of facilitating harmful behavior.
From Old French habiliter via Latin habilis meaning 'able to be handled.' The prefix 'en-' adds the sense of 'making' or 'causing to be,' so enabling literally means 'making able.'
In psychology, 'enabling' has developed a specific negative meaning - helping someone avoid consequences of destructive behavior, which paradoxically prevents their growth and recovery. This specialized use shows how words can develop precise technical meanings that diverge from their general positive sense.
In domestic/care contexts, 'enabling' (and its association with women's invisible labor) carries gendered baggage; women are culturally positioned as 'enablers' of others' success while credited minimally.
Distinguish between harmful enabling (supporting destructive behavior) and supportive enabling (facilitating capability). Name women's enabling labor explicitly when present rather than rendering it invisible.
["facilitating","supporting","empowering"]
Women's historical role as 'enablers' was often unpaid emotional and logistical labor; modern usage should credit this contribution rather than obscure it.
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