diff --git a/bin/generate_schema.py b/bin/generate_schema.py
index 41f4ad4cd..dae29c4f5 100755
--- a/bin/generate_schema.py
+++ b/bin/generate_schema.py
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@
       - append
     default: none
     description: How to inherit the parent's value.
+  enable:
+    enum:
+      - cpython-eol
+      - cpython-free-threaded
+      - cpython-prerelease
+      - pypy-eol
+  description: A Python version or flavor to enable.
 additionalProperties: false
 description: cibuildwheel's settings.
 type: object
@@ -99,6 +106,13 @@
     default: pinned
     description: Specify how cibuildwheel controls the versions of the tools it uses
     type: string
+  enable:
+    description: Enable or disable certain builds.
+    oneOf:
+      - $ref: "#/$defs/enable"
+      - type: array
+        items:
+          $ref: "#/$defs/enable"
   environment:
     description: Set environment variables needed during the build.
     type: string_table
@@ -110,6 +124,7 @@
     type: boolean
     default: false
     description: The project supports free-threaded builds of Python (PEP703)
+    deprecated: Use the `enable` option instead.
   manylinux-aarch64-image:
     type: string
     description: Specify alternative manylinux / musllinux container images
@@ -258,6 +273,7 @@
 del non_global_options["skip"]
 del non_global_options["test-skip"]
 del non_global_options["free-threaded-support"]
+del non_global_options["enable"]
 
 overrides["items"]["properties"]["select"]["oneOf"] = string_array
 overrides["items"]["properties"] |= non_global_options.copy()
diff --git a/cibuildwheel/options.py b/cibuildwheel/options.py
index 5e1e71d16..c2386d943 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/options.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/options.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     BuildFrontendConfig,
     BuildSelector,
     DependencyConstraints,
+    EnableGroups,
     TestSelector,
     format_safe,
     resources_dir,
@@ -511,6 +512,7 @@ def get(
         env_plat: bool = True,
         option_format: OptionFormat | None = None,
         ignore_empty: bool = False,
+        env_rule: InheritRule = InheritRule.NONE,
     ) -> str:
         """
         Get and return the value for the named option from environment,
@@ -542,8 +544,8 @@ def get(
                 (o.options.get(name), o.inherit.get(name, InheritRule.NONE))
                 for o in self.active_config_overrides
             ],
-            (self.env.get(envvar), InheritRule.NONE),
-            (self.env.get(plat_envvar) if env_plat else None, InheritRule.NONE),
+            (self.env.get(envvar), env_rule),
+            (self.env.get(plat_envvar) if env_plat else None, env_rule),
             ignore_empty=ignore_empty,
             option_format=option_format,
         )
@@ -599,16 +601,36 @@ def globals(self) -> GlobalOptions:
         skip_config = self.reader.get("skip", env_plat=False, option_format=ListFormat(sep=" "))
         test_skip = self.reader.get("test-skip", env_plat=False, option_format=ListFormat(sep=" "))
 
+        allow_empty = args.allow_empty or strtobool(self.env.get("CIBW_ALLOW_EMPTY", "0"))
+
+        enable_groups = self.reader.get(
+            "enable", env_plat=False, option_format=ListFormat(sep=" "), env_rule=InheritRule.APPEND
+        )
+        if enable_groups:
+            enable = {EnableGroups(group) for group in enable_groups.split()}
+
         free_threaded_support = strtobool(
             self.reader.get("free-threaded-support", env_plat=False, ignore_empty=True)
         )
 
-        allow_empty = args.allow_empty or strtobool(self.env.get("CIBW_ALLOW_EMPTY", "0"))
-
         prerelease_pythons = args.prerelease_pythons or strtobool(
             self.env.get("CIBW_PRERELEASE_PYTHONS", "0")
         )
 
+        if enable and (free_threaded_support or prerelease_pythons):
+            msg = (
+                "free-threaded-support and prerelease-pythons should be specified by enable instead"
+            )
+            raise OptionsReaderError(msg)
+
+        if free_threaded_support:
+            enable.add(EnableGroups.CPythonFreeThreaded)
+        if prerelease_pythons:
+            enable.add(EnableGroups.CPythonPrerelease)
+
+        # For backwards compatibility, we are adding EoL Python versions to the enable group for one more release.
+        enable |= {EnableGroups.CPythonEoL, EnableGroups.PyPyEoL}
+
         # This is not supported in tool.cibuildwheel, as it comes from a standard location.
         # Passing this in as an environment variable will override pyproject.toml, setup.cfg, or setup.py
         requires_python_str: str | None = (
@@ -624,15 +646,13 @@ def globals(self) -> GlobalOptions:
             build_config = args.only
             skip_config = ""
             architectures = Architecture.all_archs(self.platform)
-            prerelease_pythons = True
-            free_threaded_support = True
+            enable = set(EnableGroups)
 
         build_selector = BuildSelector(
             build_config=build_config,
             skip_config=skip_config,
             requires_python=requires_python,
-            prerelease_pythons=prerelease_pythons,
-            free_threaded_support=free_threaded_support,
+            enable=frozenset(enable),
         )
         test_selector = TestSelector(skip_config=test_skip)
 
diff --git a/cibuildwheel/resources/cibuildwheel.schema.json b/cibuildwheel/resources/cibuildwheel.schema.json
index 8e2508bc9..a4394a713 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/resources/cibuildwheel.schema.json
+++ b/cibuildwheel/resources/cibuildwheel.schema.json
@@ -10,7 +10,16 @@
       ],
       "default": "none",
       "description": "How to inherit the parent's value."
-    }
+    },
+    "enable": {
+      "enum": [
+        "cpython-eol",
+        "cpython-free-threaded",
+        "cpython-prerelease",
+        "pypy-eol"
+      ]
+    },
+    "description": "A Python version or flavor to enable."
   },
   "additionalProperties": false,
   "description": "cibuildwheel's settings.",
@@ -228,6 +237,21 @@
       "type": "string",
       "title": "CIBW_DEPENDENCY_VERSIONS"
     },
+    "enable": {
+      "description": "Enable or disable certain builds.",
+      "oneOf": [
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/enable"
+        },
+        {
+          "type": "array",
+          "items": {
+            "$ref": "#/$defs/enable"
+          }
+        }
+      ],
+      "title": "CIBW_ENABLE"
+    },
     "environment": {
       "description": "Set environment variables needed during the build.",
       "oneOf": [
diff --git a/cibuildwheel/util.py b/cibuildwheel/util.py
index bfbe50c7a..60c1d5c67 100644
--- a/cibuildwheel/util.py
+++ b/cibuildwheel/util.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import contextlib
+import enum
 import fnmatch
 import itertools
 import os
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@
 from pathlib import Path, PurePath
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 from time import sleep
-from typing import Any, ClassVar, Final, Literal, TextIO, TypeVar
+from typing import Any, Final, Literal, TextIO, TypeVar
 from zipfile import ZipFile
 
 import bracex
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@
 
 __all__ = [
     "MANYLINUX_ARCHS",
+    "EnableGroups",
     "call",
     "chdir",
     "combine_constraints",
@@ -66,6 +68,17 @@
 test_fail_cwd_file: Final[Path] = resources_dir / "testing_temp_dir_file.py"
 
 
+class EnableGroups(enum.Enum):
+    """
+    Groups of build selectors that are not enabled by default.
+    """
+
+    CPythonEoL = "cpython-eol"
+    CPythonFreeThreaded = "cpython-free-threaded"
+    CPythonPrerelease = "cpython-prerelease"
+    PyPyEoL = "pypy-eol"
+
+
 MANYLINUX_ARCHS: Final[tuple[str, ...]] = (
     "x86_64",
     "i686",
@@ -247,12 +260,7 @@ class BuildSelector:
     build_config: str
     skip_config: str
     requires_python: SpecifierSet | None = None
-
-    # a pattern that skips prerelease versions, when include_prereleases is False.
-    PRERELEASE_SKIP: ClassVar[str] = ""
-    prerelease_pythons: bool = False
-
-    free_threaded_support: bool = False
+    enable: frozenset[EnableGroups] = frozenset()
 
     def __call__(self, build_id: str) -> bool:
         # Filter build selectors by python_requires if set
@@ -266,12 +274,20 @@ def __call__(self, build_id: str) -> bool:
             if not self.requires_python.contains(version):
                 return False
 
-        # filter out the prerelease pythons if self.prerelease_pythons is False
-        if not self.prerelease_pythons and selector_matches(self.PRERELEASE_SKIP, build_id):
+        # filter out groups that are not enabled
+        if EnableGroups.CPythonEoL not in self.enable and selector_matches(
+            "cp3{6,7,8}-*", build_id
+        ):
             return False
-
-        # filter out free threaded pythons if self.free_threaded_support is False
-        if not self.free_threaded_support and selector_matches("*t-*", build_id):
+        if EnableGroups.CPythonFreeThreaded not in self.enable and selector_matches(
+            "cp3??t-*", build_id
+        ):
+            return False
+        if EnableGroups.CPythonPrerelease not in self.enable and selector_matches(
+            "cp314*", build_id
+        ):
+            return False
+        if EnableGroups.PyPyEoL not in self.enable and selector_matches("pp3{7,8,9}-*", build_id):
             return False
 
         should_build = selector_matches(self.build_config, build_id)
@@ -284,8 +300,7 @@ def options_summary(self) -> Any:
             "build_config": self.build_config,
             "skip_config": self.skip_config,
             "requires_python": str(self.requires_python),
-            "prerelease_pythons": self.prerelease_pythons,
-            "free_threaded_support": self.free_threaded_support,
+            "enable": sorted(group.value for group in self.enable),
         }
 
 
diff --git a/unit_test/build_selector_test.py b/unit_test/build_selector_test.py
index f89222461..278456296 100644
--- a/unit_test/build_selector_test.py
+++ b/unit_test/build_selector_test.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 from packaging.specifiers import SpecifierSet
 
-from cibuildwheel.util import BuildSelector
+from cibuildwheel.util import BuildSelector, EnableGroups
 
 
 def test_build():
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ def test_build_filter_pre():
     build_selector = BuildSelector(
         build_config="cp3*-* *-manylinux*",
         skip_config="",
-        prerelease_pythons=True,
+        enable=frozenset(
+            [EnableGroups.CPythonPrerelease, EnableGroups.CPythonEoL, EnableGroups.PyPyEoL]
+        ),
     )
 
     assert build_selector("cp37-manylinux_x86_64")
@@ -146,9 +148,7 @@ def test_build_limited_python_patch():
 
 
 def test_build_free_threaded_python():
-    build_selector = BuildSelector(
-        build_config="*", skip_config="", prerelease_pythons=True, free_threaded_support=True
-    )
+    build_selector = BuildSelector(build_config="*", skip_config="", enable=frozenset(EnableGroups))
 
     assert build_selector("cp313t-manylinux_x86_64")
 
diff --git a/unit_test/options_test.py b/unit_test/options_test.py
index c19c6619f..41dc74dcb 100644
--- a/unit_test/options_test.py
+++ b/unit_test/options_test.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
     Options,
     _get_pinned_container_images,
 )
+from cibuildwheel.util import EnableGroups
 
 PYPROJECT_1 = """
 [tool.cibuildwheel]
@@ -448,4 +449,7 @@ def test_free_threaded_support(
         )
     )
     options = Options(platform="linux", command_line_arguments=args, env=env)
-    assert options.globals.build_selector.free_threaded_support is expected_result
+    if expected_result:
+        assert EnableGroups.CPythonFreeThreaded in options.globals.build_selector.enable
+    else:
+        assert EnableGroups.CPythonFreeThreaded not in options.globals.build_selector.enable