As with so many English words, it's easy to find a Latin origin for facilitate. It 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"). Facilis in turn comes from facere, a Latin verb meaning "to make or do." Facere has played a role in the development of dozens of English words, ranging from affect to surfeit.
The strength of the inner identities that black women forged and nurtured during slavery facilitated the transition to freedom. Darlene Clark Hine, Lure and Loathing, 1993What physical events might have facilitated the evolution of macroscopic animals? Andrew H. Knoll, Scientific American, October 1991Nothing 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. See More
Recent Examples on the WebBy having a free agent who gave up money to facilitate such manipulations below the hard cap, which is what James Harden did for the 76ers. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2022 Signify works with a group of doctors to facilitate house calls. Laura Cooper, WSJ, 2 Sep. 2022 Bronson opposed spending that included $11.8 million to the Rasmuson Foundation to facilitate the purchase of the Aptel Hotel or other properties for conversion into low-income and supportive housing units. Emily Goodykoontz, Anchorage Daily News, 26 Aug. 2022 Quinn Ecological was founded in 2007 to facilitate amphibian and reptile research, conservation and preservation. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2022 There are numerous tools set up to facilitate remote collaboration, but none of these quite replicate being able to work in a space together. Grant Powell, Forbes, 26 Aug. 2022 The village of Greendale is looking to create a tax incremental financing district and spend about $10.5 million in village funds to facilitate the redevelopment of the former Boston Store property at Southridge Mall. Bob Dohr, Journal Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2022 Youngkin said that the effort hinges on local residents working together in a public-private partnership, with government pitching in to facilitate. Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2022 Both Ukraine and Russia have expressed willingness in recent days to facilitate an IAEA inspection of the site. Claire Parker, BostonGlobe.com, 20 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
probably from Middle French faciliter "to make easy" (borrowed from Italian facilitare, verbal derivative of facilitàfacility) + -ate entry 4