faculty

Forms

Plural: faculties

Definitions

1.The academic staff at schools, colleges, universities or not-for-profit research institutes, as opposed to the students or support staff.
2.A division of a university.
- She transferred from the Faculty of Science to the Faculty of Medicine.
3.An ability, power, or skill.
- He lived until he reached the age of 90 with most of his faculties intact.
- It was some time before Johnstone recovered the full use of his faculties; his eyes unclosed but to stare fixedly upon the bank, which, however, was now unoccupied.
4.An authority, power, or privilege conferred by a higher authority.
- Unless he has bi-ritual faculties, the Latin priest must baptize and confirm the Eastern rite person, whether infant or adult, according to the liturgical books of the Latin church ( canon 846 , §2 ).

Frequency

Overall

Uncommon· #2300

By learning goal

Everyday conversation: Rare
General reading & writing: Rare
Academic: Uncommon
Literature: Rare

Etymology

From Middle English faculte (“power, property”), from Old French faculte, from Latin facultas (“capability, ability, skill, abundance, plenty, stock, goods, property; in Medieval Latin also a body of teachers”), another form of facilitas (“easiness, facility, etc.”), from facul, another form of facilis (“easy, facile”); see facile.