fomentar
verbCEFR B2
What does “fomentar” mean in English?
1.to foster, to promote
to foster, to promote (to nurture growth of habits, values, or behaviours from an underdeveloped state)
2.to nurture, to foster
to nurture, to foster (fomentar el talento/desarrollo — encourage the development of something desirable over time)
Example sentences
El Ministerio ha puesto en marcha un plan para fomentar el uso del transporte público en las grandes ciudades.
The Ministry has launched a plan to promote the use of public transport in major cities.
Las actividades extraescolares fomentan la cohesión social entre jóvenes de distintos entornos culturales.
Extracurricular activities foster social cohesion among young people from different cultural backgrounds.
Para fomentar el emprendimiento, el gobierno simplificó los trámites necesarios para crear una empresa.
To foster entrepreneurship, the government simplified the procedures required to create a company.
How to use it
Fomentar means 'to foster', 'to promote', or 'to encourage'. It is transitive and takes an abstract direct object: fomentar la lectura, fomentar el diálogo, fomentar la innovación. At B2 it is a key policy verb. Don't confuse with promover (to promote — also used for people, products, and career advancement) or potenciar (to enhance/boost — focuses on amplifying existing capacity). Fomentar focuses on nurturing growth, habit, or behaviour from an early or underdeveloped state. The noun is el fomento.
Common mistake
Fomentar, promover, and potenciar are often interchangeable in policy writing, but each has a nuance. Fomentar = nurturing something that needs encouragement to grow; promover = pushing something forward actively (also used for career promotion); potenciar = multiplying existing capacity. El fomento de (noun) is frequently used in policy document titles.