Definition of facilitate
facilitated
;facilitating
transitive verb
: to make easier : help bring about facilitate growth
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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 of facilitate from the Web
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A: With over $320 million in assets, the foundation is proud to have facilitated over $1 billion in more than 60,000 individual grants to more than 5,000 non-profits.
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Starting in fall 2018, most states will start requiring health insurers to submit market conduct data to them each year, through an effort organized and facilitated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
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In the hours after the bombing, the Afghan intelligence agency pointedly accused the Pakistani military intelligence service, the Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, of facilitating the bombing by its allies in the Haqqani network.
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Shortly after the election, Kushner is reported to have discussed setting up a secret communications channel with the Russian government to facilitate sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria.
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The company plans to refinance its debt in the interim period until Sept. 30 to facilitate the closing of the transactions, Singh said.
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Iraqi forces dropped leaflets over the area Friday, telling civilians to flee in an effort to facilitate the military operations.
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The resolution requests a traffic study to help facilitate safe passage of pedestrian and bicycle traffic near the station.
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The crouching position that modern starting blocks impose facilitates a horizontal surge of energy.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'facilitate'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
As with so many English words, it's easy to find a Latin origin for facilitate. It 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"). Facilis in turn comes from facere, a Latin verb meaning "to make or do." Facere has played a role in the development of dozens of English words, ranging from affect to surfeit.
Origin and Etymology of facilitate
see facile
First Known Use: 1599
FACILITATE Defined for English Language Learners
facilitate
playDefinition of facilitate for English Language Learners
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: to make (something) easier : to help cause (something)
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: to help (something) run more smoothly and effectively
FACILITATE Defined for Kids
facilitate
playDefinition of facilitate for Students
facilitated
;facilitating
: to make easier
Medical Dictionary
facilitate
playMedical Definition of facilitate
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)
Law Dictionary
Learn More about facilitate
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See words that rhyme with facilitate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for facilitate Spanish Central: Translation of facilitate Nglish: Translation of facilitate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of facilitate for Arabic speakers
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