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facilitate was our Word of the Day on 06/19/2012. Hear the podcast!
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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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Though his play was clearly compromised by recurring leaks in his offensive line, Jackson failed to distinguish himself in any of those season-ending losses and facilitated Kentucky’s shocker with a late, reckless fumble.
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The desks are physical remnants from a 2015 performance facilitated by Cheryl, for a performance that shifted the power from the adult viewer to the student performer.
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This broad range of potential offenses gives police almost unlimited license to stop, ticket, and arrest, and facilitates targeting homeless people and others who exist largely in public spaces.
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George K. Baum & Company, an investment banking firm, will create and work with a 35-member citizen task force as well as facilitate community information meetings, according to the release.
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Rights defenders say the blackouts can facilitate serious abuses.
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In late June, the Israeli cabinet approved a 280 million shekel ($80 million) budget to facilitate cooperation with India in a variety of areas, including water and agricultural technology.
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City commissioners briefly discussed the OutGames at their most recent meeting, lamenting the event’s massive problems while praising city staffers who stepped up to facilitate makeshift tournaments for athletes.
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In the new proposal, the U.S. team would provide debt financing to facilitate Toshiba’s sale of its stake in the NAND...
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
facilitate Synonyms
Synonyms
ease, grease, loosen (up), smooth, unclogAntonyms
complicateRelated Words
accelerate, expedite, hasten, hurry, quicken, rush, speed; advance, forward, further, promote; abet, aid, assist, help, improve; disentangle, straighten (out), untangle; simplify, streamlineNear Antonyms
hinder, impede; retard; aggravate, worsen; perplex, sophisticateFACILITATE Defined for English Language Learners
facilitate
play
verb
Definition 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
play
verb
fa·cil·i·tate
\
fə-ˈsi-lə-ˌtāt
\
Definition of facilitate for Students
facilitated;
facilitating
:to make easier
Medical Dictionary
facilitate
play
transitive verb
fa·cil·i·tate
\
fə-ˈsil-ə-ˌtāt
\
medical Definition of facilitate
facilitated;
facilitating
:to increase the likelihood, strength, or effectiveness of (as behavior or a response)
- reflexes can be facilitated or inhibited
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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