facilitate
fuh-SIL-i-teyt
/fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/
To make an action or process easy or easier to accomplish.
Implies removing obstacles or providing resources to help a process run smoothly, rather than doing the work yourself.
The story behind the word. Traced back to the Latin word 'facilis', meaning 'easy to do'. It passed through Italian ('facilitare') and French ('faciliter') before arriving in English in the early 17th century as a word for smoothing the path of progress.
Word relationships
- expedite: Expedite means to make an action happen faster, whereas facilitate simply means to make it easier or less difficult.
- hinder: Hinder means to create obstacles or delay the progress of an action.
Commonly confused with
- felicitate: Felicitate means to congratulate someone, while facilitate means to make a process easier.
Word family
- facilitator (noun): A person or thing that makes an action or process easy or easier.
- facilitation (noun): The act of helping other people to deal with a process or reach an agreement.
Collocations
- facilitate growth
- facilitate communication
- facilitate a discussion
Example sentences
- "The new online portal was designed to facilitate faster communication between teachers and parents." Modern technology
- "A structured legal framework is necessary to facilitate international trade and investment." Economic policy
Memory hook
Think of 'facility'. A facility (like a gym or office) is a place built to make certain activities easy to do. Make it easy.
When not to use
Do not use when you are directly performing the physical labor of a task; use 'help' or 'assist' instead.
Fun facts
- In neurology, 'facilitation' refers to the phenomenon where a nerve impulse is made easier by a previous impulse.
Related words
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