facilitate
verb
Mead GruverRyan StantonKayla Lasure
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
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.
Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
The Pro’s Closet was founded in Boulder 18 years ago and over time sought to take used bike sales — traditionally a local market facilitated by bike shops and sites such as Craigslist — and go national.
—Max Scheinblum, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
It’s based on the Met Gala jewel-thieving heist in Ocean’s 8, complete with fake jewels being swapped out for real ones, facilitated in part by a bathroom emergency.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2024
In recent years, the city has managed to attract key international yachting industry players to establish branches and manufacturing facilities, a move facilitated by Dubai’s progressive regulatory frameworks and strong government support.
—Dubai Tourism Contributor, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for facilitate 
Dictionary Entries Near facilitate
Cite this Entry
“Facilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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facilitate
verb
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facilitate
transitive verb
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facilitate
transitive verb
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