Confusables Entry 169 / 1011 60-second read

Facilitate vs. Felicitate

Making something easier versus congratulating.

The comparisoni

✗ Wrong

“We held a meeting to felicitate the project launch.”

✓ Correct

“We held a meeting to facilitate the project launch.”

More examplesii

I want to felicitate the team's move to the new office.

I want to felicitate the team on their move to the new office (if congratulating) or facilitate (if helping).

Please felicitate the process.

Please facilitate the process.

The ruleiii

FACILITATE = to make an action or process easy or easier.

Both sound formal and 'facilitate' is very common in corporate speech, leading to 'felicitate' being used incorrectly as a more 'fancy' version of help.

Memory aidiv

Remember it like this

Facilitate = Facile (French/Latin for easy). Felicitate = Felix (Latin for happy).