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What's a word that means something that facilitates something else?

A word meaning to facilitate change; allow it to happen; help it come to life. Almost as if serving as an open doorway to an idea or the creation of a new thing because of what another thing did to it, or allowed it to do.

I seem to remember associating this mystery word with energy conductivity or chemistry. Synonyms might include facilitator, conductor, precipitate...

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  • I think this is General Reference rather than Not Constructive. You've already said you want to facilitate it. Obviously you want to act as a facilitator. Strictly speaking, an "idea" is normally realised, not facilitated, but not many people would use act as a realiser
    – FumbleFingers
    Jun 14, 2013 at 1:34
  • Are you thinking of "conduit"?
    – MetaEd
    Jun 14, 2013 at 1:54
  • @MετάEd How would you suggest conduit which is not a 'facilitator/ catalyst'? Conduit even has negative connotations.
    – Kris
    Jun 14, 2013 at 6:12
  • @FumbleFingers, Why is this question closed?
    – Pacerier
    Oct 3, 2015 at 6:29
  • @Pacerier: For some reason the question text has been extensively edited since I made my comment. I still think if OP had simply wanted an "agent noun" for "one who facilitates" that would be OT GenRef (it appears he really wanted us to jog his memory for catalyst, but that could easily be addressed by googling synonym facilitator and checking the alternatives listed here, for example). But as to why it was actually closed - you'll note that I personally never cast a closevote. I just made a comment which I still stand by.
    – FumbleFingers
    Oct 3, 2015 at 12:27

4 Answers 4

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You could be a catalyst for the idea, a term that comes from chemistry meaning (according to MWD)

1 : a substance that enables a chemical reaction to proceed at a usually faster rate or under different conditions (as at a lower temperature) than otherwise possible

2 : an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action

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  • 2
    Thank you so much. I love that word, and for some reason it just vanished from my brain a long time ago.
    – Smig
    Jun 14, 2013 at 1:31
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If you wanted to emphasize your enthusiasm you could champion that idea

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Perhaps the word you are looking for is 'expeditor', or expediter.

According to the Wikipedia article,

An expeditor is someone who facilitates a process. It is a position or role found within project management, construction, purchasing and production control.

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The word that occurs to me is advocate.

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