“enables users to” vs “allows users to” – both correct?
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
10 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
add a comment |
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I’m editing a colleague who habitually uses phrases like:
The password enables users to log in.
This sounds wrong to me, and I want to suggest alternatives like:
The password allows users to log in.
After some cursory research, I think the problem here is me, not the pattern in question. Are “enables” and “allows” interchangeable, here?
word-choice grammaticality
word-choice grammaticality
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
asked 11 hours ago
Eric PortisEric Portis
31
31
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
10 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
add a comment |
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
10 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
1
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
10 hours ago
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
10 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
10 hours ago
add a comment |
"Allow" and "enable" have two different meanings. "Enable" means to provide help and assistance. Enabling has nothing to do with permission or whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier. If we change the word "password" to "guard" this will become clear: "The guard allows visitors to pass through the checkpoint." If we used "enable" then one would ask how the guard helped. Did he carry the person through the gate? Personally, I would use "allow." If you don't have a password, you can't get in.
In researching this answer, I noticed that dictionaries varied on the definition of enable. Merriam Webster has conflicting ideas. One definition is about help and assistance, while another talks about allowing something.
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
The first sense of enable in the link you provide gives the example a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch. This is no different than a password than enables us to have access or, as you say, "whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier" Also, when you talk about "conflicting ideas," they're not conflicting. They are different senses of the same word.
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
@JasonBassford The word "enable" has morphed into something similar to allow or give permission, but as far as I know it has always meant to provide aid. People can enable. Personally, I don't think inanimate objects can enable. This is my opinion. Dictionaries online varied in their interpretation of the word.
– michael_timofeev
7 hours ago
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "97"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f491491%2fenables-users-to-vs-allows-users-to-both-correct%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
10 hours ago
add a comment |
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
10 hours ago
add a comment |
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Enables implies that this uncovers a new ability for the user to log in.
Using a different wording:
The password gives the user the ability to login.
Whereas allows implies that the user has been given the permission to login as if they weren't allowed before.
Attempting to put this into a different wording:
The password gives the user the permission to login
This is erroneous as the permission may in this case already be granted and they simply haven't been given the ability to login yet
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 10 hours ago
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
answered 11 hours ago
dopedope
543
543
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
dope is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
10 hours ago
add a comment |
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
10 hours ago
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
But gramatically, they're identical. They just carry different meanings? (And in the example, it sounds like “enables” better describes what passwords do?)
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
10 hours ago
Grammatically yes, they're identical. But they carry different meanings. So you're right to think that the problem was within you when perceiving the phrase as erroneous. 'Enables' definitely describes the function of the user being given the password better than 'allow' would. As I've attempted to lay out in my answer. :)
– dope
10 hours ago
add a comment |
"Allow" and "enable" have two different meanings. "Enable" means to provide help and assistance. Enabling has nothing to do with permission or whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier. If we change the word "password" to "guard" this will become clear: "The guard allows visitors to pass through the checkpoint." If we used "enable" then one would ask how the guard helped. Did he carry the person through the gate? Personally, I would use "allow." If you don't have a password, you can't get in.
In researching this answer, I noticed that dictionaries varied on the definition of enable. Merriam Webster has conflicting ideas. One definition is about help and assistance, while another talks about allowing something.
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
The first sense of enable in the link you provide gives the example a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch. This is no different than a password than enables us to have access or, as you say, "whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier" Also, when you talk about "conflicting ideas," they're not conflicting. They are different senses of the same word.
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
@JasonBassford The word "enable" has morphed into something similar to allow or give permission, but as far as I know it has always meant to provide aid. People can enable. Personally, I don't think inanimate objects can enable. This is my opinion. Dictionaries online varied in their interpretation of the word.
– michael_timofeev
7 hours ago
add a comment |
"Allow" and "enable" have two different meanings. "Enable" means to provide help and assistance. Enabling has nothing to do with permission or whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier. If we change the word "password" to "guard" this will become clear: "The guard allows visitors to pass through the checkpoint." If we used "enable" then one would ask how the guard helped. Did he carry the person through the gate? Personally, I would use "allow." If you don't have a password, you can't get in.
In researching this answer, I noticed that dictionaries varied on the definition of enable. Merriam Webster has conflicting ideas. One definition is about help and assistance, while another talks about allowing something.
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
The first sense of enable in the link you provide gives the example a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch. This is no different than a password than enables us to have access or, as you say, "whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier" Also, when you talk about "conflicting ideas," they're not conflicting. They are different senses of the same word.
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
@JasonBassford The word "enable" has morphed into something similar to allow or give permission, but as far as I know it has always meant to provide aid. People can enable. Personally, I don't think inanimate objects can enable. This is my opinion. Dictionaries online varied in their interpretation of the word.
– michael_timofeev
7 hours ago
add a comment |
"Allow" and "enable" have two different meanings. "Enable" means to provide help and assistance. Enabling has nothing to do with permission or whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier. If we change the word "password" to "guard" this will become clear: "The guard allows visitors to pass through the checkpoint." If we used "enable" then one would ask how the guard helped. Did he carry the person through the gate? Personally, I would use "allow." If you don't have a password, you can't get in.
In researching this answer, I noticed that dictionaries varied on the definition of enable. Merriam Webster has conflicting ideas. One definition is about help and assistance, while another talks about allowing something.
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
"Allow" and "enable" have two different meanings. "Enable" means to provide help and assistance. Enabling has nothing to do with permission or whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier. If we change the word "password" to "guard" this will become clear: "The guard allows visitors to pass through the checkpoint." If we used "enable" then one would ask how the guard helped. Did he carry the person through the gate? Personally, I would use "allow." If you don't have a password, you can't get in.
In researching this answer, I noticed that dictionaries varied on the definition of enable. Merriam Webster has conflicting ideas. One definition is about help and assistance, while another talks about allowing something.
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
answered 7 hours ago
michael_timofeevmichael_timofeev
5,76342147
5,76342147
The first sense of enable in the link you provide gives the example a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch. This is no different than a password than enables us to have access or, as you say, "whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier" Also, when you talk about "conflicting ideas," they're not conflicting. They are different senses of the same word.
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
@JasonBassford The word "enable" has morphed into something similar to allow or give permission, but as far as I know it has always meant to provide aid. People can enable. Personally, I don't think inanimate objects can enable. This is my opinion. Dictionaries online varied in their interpretation of the word.
– michael_timofeev
7 hours ago
add a comment |
The first sense of enable in the link you provide gives the example a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch. This is no different than a password than enables us to have access or, as you say, "whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier" Also, when you talk about "conflicting ideas," they're not conflicting. They are different senses of the same word.
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
@JasonBassford The word "enable" has morphed into something similar to allow or give permission, but as far as I know it has always meant to provide aid. People can enable. Personally, I don't think inanimate objects can enable. This is my opinion. Dictionaries online varied in their interpretation of the word.
– michael_timofeev
7 hours ago
The first sense of enable in the link you provide gives the example a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch. This is no different than a password than enables us to have access or, as you say, "whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier" Also, when you talk about "conflicting ideas," they're not conflicting. They are different senses of the same word.
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
The first sense of enable in the link you provide gives the example a hole in the fence that enabled us to watch. This is no different than a password than enables us to have access or, as you say, "whether something can or cannot pass through a barrier" Also, when you talk about "conflicting ideas," they're not conflicting. They are different senses of the same word.
– Jason Bassford
7 hours ago
@JasonBassford The word "enable" has morphed into something similar to allow or give permission, but as far as I know it has always meant to provide aid. People can enable. Personally, I don't think inanimate objects can enable. This is my opinion. Dictionaries online varied in their interpretation of the word.
– michael_timofeev
7 hours ago
@JasonBassford The word "enable" has morphed into something similar to allow or give permission, but as far as I know it has always meant to provide aid. People can enable. Personally, I don't think inanimate objects can enable. This is my opinion. Dictionaries online varied in their interpretation of the word.
– michael_timofeev
7 hours ago
add a comment |
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Eric Portis is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language & Usage Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fenglish.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f491491%2fenables-users-to-vs-allows-users-to-both-correct%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
1
They are sometimes equivalent. A guard dog allows you to enter a house, sounds more plausible than the guard dog enabling your entry, unless you had somehow “provided” the dog to the homeowner.
– Global Charm
10 hours ago
Ok, so, as @HideMe says below -- the difference is about granting permission (allows) vs bestowing new abilities (enables).
– Eric Portis
10 hours ago