facilitate

Facilitate means to help something happen and often means to lead a meeting or discussion. It is always the process which is facilitated, not a person.

• Clearly written lists and labels will facilitate your move.
• The brainstorming session was facilitated by a team of outside consultants.

• Incorrect: Operating room nurses facilitate the surgeons.
• Correct: Operating room nurses facilitate the work of the surgeons.
• Correct: Operating room nurses assist the surgeons.

For more effective writing, be on the lookout for opportunities to replace facilitate with a plainer term.

• Difficult: Gina’s input will facilitate the transformation of the system.
• Plain: Gina’s input will help to transform the system.