facilitate
fuh-SIL-ih-tayt
/fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/
To make a process or action easier or smoother; in education, guiding learning without directly lecturing.
Focuses on providing conditions and guidance for others to accomplish the task themselves.
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'facilis' (easy). The word entered French as 'faciliter' and English in the early 17th century, originally meaning 'to render easy'. Carl Rogers popularized 'facilitator' in education during the 1960s.
Word relationships
- ease: Ease is informal; facilitate implies systematic guidance or enabling conditions.
- foster: Foster means to nurture growth over time, while facilitate means making a specific process smoother.
- impede: Impede means to obstruct or slow down, whereas facilitate means to make smoother.
- hinder: Hinder creates obstacles, while facilitate removes obstacles.
Commonly confused with
- mediate: Mediate involves resolving conflicts between parties, while facilitate involves enabling smooth progress toward a goal.
Word family
- facilitator (noun): A person who guides a discussion or learning experience.
- facilitation (noun): The act of making a process easier.
- facility (noun): Ease in doing something, or a place equipped for a purpose.
Collocations
- facilitate learning
- facilitate discussion
- facilitate understanding
- facilitate growth
Example sentences
- "The facilitation of significant learning rests upon certain attitudinal qualities that exist in the personal relationship between the facilitator and the learner." Humanistic Education
- "The instructor was there to facilitate discussions rather than tell participants what conclusions to reach." Corporate Workshops
Memory hook
FACILITATE contains 'facility'—making learning as smooth as operating in a well-equipped facility. Make learning easy.
When not to use
Do not use as a direct synonym for 'to do' or 'to perform'—you make the task easier, you don't do it yourself.
Fun facts
- In Spanish, the word 'fácil' directly means 'easy', making facilitate an easy cognate for Spanish speakers!
Related words
Explore more words
conducive, mediate, accommodate, shepherd, coordinate, foster
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