facilitate

verb

fa·​cil·​i·​tate fə-ˈsi-lə-ˌtāt How to pronounce facilitate (audio)
facilitated; facilitating; facilitates

transitive verb

: to make (something) easier
programs that facilitate access to health care
: such as
a
: to help bring (something) about
His campaign emphasized a variety of ways the federal government could help facilitate economic growth …Mead Gruver
Over the past two decades, the city has explored and made attempts to facilitate development of affordable housing on city-owned lots downtown.Ryan Stanton
b
: to help (something, such as a discussion) run more smoothly and effectively
The meeting included the full accountability team formed by the university, and the university facilitated the meeting, … sharing progress on initiatives underway …Kayla Lasure
facilitative adjective

Did you know?

English isn’t always easy, but the origin of facilitate is nothing but: the word traces back to the Latin adjective facilis, meaning "easy." Other descendants of facilis in English include facile ("easy to do"), facility ("the quality of being easily performed"), faculty ("ability"), and difficult (from dis- plus facilis, which equals "not easy"). English isn’t the only Latin-influenced language that has facilis to thank for "easy" words: the word for "easy" is fácil in both Spanish and Portuguese, and facile in both Italian and French. The way that facilitating something makes it "easy" (or "easier," as it were) can be likened to paving a road to make traveling to one’s destination smoother. Similarly, when we say, for example, that applying a healthy layer of mulch around the base of a newly planted tree facilitates robust growth, we mean that it (figuratively) paves the way for, or brings about, the sapling’s success.

Examples of facilitate in a Sentence

The strength of the inner identities that black women forged and nurtured during slavery facilitated the transition to freedom. Darlene Clark Hine, Lure and Loathing, 1993
What physical events might have facilitated the evolution of macroscopic animals? Andrew H. Knoll, Scientific American, October 1991
Nothing so facilitates writing as actually having something to say, yet the conditions under which, and the tools with which, writing is done can contribute to facility—or to difficulty. Joseph Epstein, The Middle of My Tether, 1983
Cutting taxes may facilitate economic recovery. Her rise to power was facilitated by her influential friends. The moderator's role is to facilitate the discussion by asking appropriate questions.
Recent Examples on the Web The United States helps ensure their security and, in so doing, facilitates an undemocratic status quo. Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 Thumb opposition isn’t unique to humans, and in fact an opposable thumb facilitates the enhanced grasping abilities of many primates. Sabrina Sholts, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024 The pandemic actually helped facilitate the process. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2024 Last week, Johnson County commissioners moved forward with a $250,000 transportation study to examine the significant infrastructure improvements that officials say will be needed to facilitate the industrial growth. Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Wealth facilitates applicants’ participation in unpaid activities such as shadowing, volunteering, and clinical research, while family income is linked to success in college admissions and on the MCAT. Tricia Pendergrast, STAT, 7 Mar. 2024 Flyover was facilitated by SouthWings, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that coordinates a network of volunteer pilots across the southeastern U.S. to provide an aerial perspective to help shed light on and solve pressing environmental issues. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 President Biden has called on Israel to do more to facilitate aid deliveries and announced Friday that the United States would begin airdrops over Gaza to ease the suffering. Hajar Harb, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Global Evolution Of Tax Tech As global regulations continue to evolve, tax technology will facilitate seamless cross-border compliance. David Marley, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'facilitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from Middle French faciliter "to make easy" (borrowed from Italian facilitare, verbal derivative of facilità facility) + -ate entry 4

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of facilitate was in 1599

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Dictionary Entries Near facilitate

Cite this Entry

“Facilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

facilitate

verb
fa·​cil·​i·​tate fə-ˈsil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce facilitate (audio)
facilitated; facilitating
: to make easier
facilitation
-ˌsil-ə-ˈtā-shən
noun

Medical Definition

facilitate

transitive verb
fa·​cil·​i·​tate fə-ˈsil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce facilitate (audio)
facilitated; facilitating
: to increase the likelihood, strength, or effectiveness of (as behavior or a response)
reflexes can be facilitated or inhibited
also : to lower the threshold for transmission of (an impulse)

Legal Definition

facilitate

transitive verb
fa·​cil·​i·​tate fə-ˈsi-lə-ˌtāt How to pronounce facilitate (audio)
facilitated; facilitating
: to make easier : help bring about
a vehicle used to facilitate commission of the offense
facilitation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on facilitate

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