facilitate

[ fuh-sil-i-teyt ]

/ fəˈsɪl ɪˌteɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR facilitate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), fa·cil·i·tat·ed, fa·cil·i·tat·ing.

to make easier or less difficult; help forward (an action, a process, etc.): Careful planning facilitates any kind of work.

to assist the progress of (a person).

Nearby words

facialist, facies, facile, facile princeps, facilis descensus averno, facilitate, facilitation, facilitator, facility, facing, facing tool

Origin of facilitate

First recorded in 1605–15; facilit(y) + -ate¹

Related forms

fa·cil·i·ta·tive, adjectiveun·fa·cil·i·tat·ed, adjective

Can be confused

facile facilitate facility felicitate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for facilitated

(Disclosure note: Airbnb facilitated the interview between the author of this piece and Simon Wheatcroft).
Running Blind: Meet the Most Inspiring Marathoner|Maggie Parker|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Indeed, it was the embrace of evidence-based dogma that facilitated the creation of the 10-minute encounter.
Clinton Doc: This Is How We’ll Fix Health Care|Daniela Drake|June 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But just imagine that Obama had “facilitated” a ransom to Haqqani, and yet Bergdahl had been killed during a rescue mission.
The Right Didn’t Mind When Bush Paid a Ransom to Terrorists|Michael Tomasky|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All of these tools and approaches were facilitated by the federal government and its partners at the state and local level.
How We Built the Ghettos|Jamelle Bouie|March 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

That facilitated food to equal what he could have enjoyed on the outside as well as regular trysts with a female inmate.
El Chapo on the Couch: Inside a Drug Lord's Therapy Sessions|Michael Daly|March 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The common monetary system prevailing in every land fostered trade and facilitated the exchange of products.
The Moon Metal|Garrett P. Serviss
The acquisition of a scientific knowledge of minerals should also be facilitated in this quarter.
Scenes and Adventures in the Semi-Alpine Region of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and Arkansas|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft
The ideas that had served her for so many centuries as a guide had rather obstructed than facilitated her way.
History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume II (of 2)|John William Draper
The first two wires constructed gave only two ohms resistance to the mile, which facilitated the experiments.
Electricity and Magnetism|Elisha Gray
The work of hand weeding may be facilitated by the use of some of the small hand tools designed for the purpose.
The Vegetable Garden|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for facilitated

facilitate

/ (fəˈsɪlɪˌteɪt) /

verb

(tr) to make easier; assist the progress of

Derived Forms

facilitative, adjectivefacilitator, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012