I need help on this one

Question

Enabling creates an atmosphere in which a person can continue unacceptable behavior and can establish a pattern of abuse.

Answer 1

So the word enabling is a verb that means to make able or to give power to someone. Enabling is often seen as a negative thing because it's often used in a negative context, such as a mom enabling her son to continue eating junk food every day after school by buying him all the junk food he wants. Enabling someone to do something, in the sentence you put above and in mine, both highlight bad things that someone allows or permits someone else to do, even helping in the process of doing that bad thing. Some other words that are similar are permit, empower or allow, but none have the negative implication or the exact "giving of power" that enabling does.

Answer 2

Samantha G. gives a great explanation of the word "ENABLING" in the context of this sentence. This word is a great example of the idiosyncrasies of the English language and how a word can mean something and then, in a different context, mean quite the opposite.

"To enable" literally means to help or to make possible. In most contexts this is a good thing.

For example, I can enable you to reach that can of soup by bringing you a step stool. In this context, 'to enable' is good, helpful and something desired. But, like Samantha explains in her answer, it actually means the opposite in the context of the sentence provided. To enable someone to continue to do the wrong thing isn't good and thus, "to enable" in this context is considered a bad thing, not desirable.

Situations like this make teaching English challenging. Good luck!