facilitate

American

[fuh-sil-i-teyt] / fəˈsɪl ɪˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

facilitated, facilitating

to make easier or less difficult; help forward (an action, a process, etc.).

Careful planning facilitates any kind of work.
to lead or moderate (a discussion, workshop, etc.), especially as a person trained to do so.

An instructor will facilitate the online discussions, providing students with the questions beforehand.
to assist the progress of (a person).

facilitate British

/ fəˈsɪlɪˌteɪt /

verb

(tr) to make easier; assist the progress of

"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

Other Word Forms

facilitative adjective
facilitator noun

Etymology

Origin of facilitate

First recorded in 1605–15; facilit(y) + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mr Ward was found not guilty of facilitating the robbery in October 2008.

From BBC

“It’s highly technical and a scientifically novel modeling effort, but it wasn’t developed through a facilitated process or expert peer-reviewed,” Tillemans said, adding that it “requires additional time to complete a thorough review.”

From Los Angeles Times

In cases like this it gives the perception that it is facilitating inconsistency.

From BBC

Iran manages a complex, clandestine shadow-banking network globally that is facilitated by China, U.S. officials allege.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bogdan Okhrimenko, who works with the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War that facilitates the swaps, said the organisation was constantly working to bring more Ukrainians home.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023