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.
Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 23 Oct. 2025
Cofounded by president Tiffany Lopinsky, the platform facilitates shopping recommendations and ecommerce for influencers and brands—a category created by LTK that ShopMy has quickly expanded with new kinds of brands and tastemakers.
—Ellie Austin, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
The nearly $50 million grant given Monday for the construction and development of the facility was funded by the Minnesota Forward Fund, which facilitates private investment that supports business attraction and expansion in existing and new industries in Minnesota.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 2025
Bagri believes that Sunrun's market share could increase over time, helping facilitate even more attractive terms with equipment providers.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for facilitate
Cite this Entry
“Facilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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facilitate
verb
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facilitate
transitive verb
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facilitate
transitive verb
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