facility

American  

[fuh-sil-i-tee] / fəˈsɪl ɪ ti /

noun

facilities plural

1. Often facilities

   1. something designed, built, installed, etc., to serve a specific function affording a convenience or service.

      transportation facilities;

      educational facilities;

      a new research facility.

   2. something that permits the easier performance of an action, course of conduct, etc..

      to provide someone with every facility for accomplishing a task;

      to lack facilities for handling bulk mail.

2. readiness or ease due to skill, aptitude, or practice; dexterity.

   to compose with great facility.

3. ready compliance.

   Her facility in organizing and directing made her an excellent supervisor.

4. an easy-flowing manner.

   facility of style.

5. the quality of being easily or conveniently done or performed.

6. Informal. Often facilities a restroom, especially one for use by the public, as in a theater or restaurant.

7. freedom from difficulty, controversy, misunderstanding, etc..

   facility of understanding.

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facility British  

/ fəˈsɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. ease of action or performance; freedom from difficulty

2. ready skill or ease deriving from practice or familiarity

3. (often plural) the means or equipment facilitating the performance of an action

4. rare easy-going disposition

5. military an organization or building offering supporting capability

6. (usually plural) a euphemistic word for lavatory

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfacility
  noun
• overfacility
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• facilities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of facility

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English facilite, from Middle French or directly from Latin facilitās; see facile, -ity

Explanation

Facility is a noun with several different meanings. Often, as in "storage facility," it's a place designed for a specific use, but it can also mean an effortlessness or ease with something. The new stadium is a great facility for showing off Olympic winter sports. At this level, all of the ice skaters show a facility that borders on magical. Likewise, the prison is a great facility for storing prisoners. Those prisoners showed a real facility for crime. Related to the French facile, which means "easy," a person who shows a facility for something makes it seem easy. This is cool, especially if that thing is difficult — or, as the French might say, difficile.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

facility facilities

The eagle was taken to “a specialized rehabilitation facility, where care is now underway.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The Czechoslovak Group, which acquired a German nitrocellulose facility, aims to secure the entire supply chain for artillery shells of various calibers within company facilities across several European countries by year-end.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Now we have to wait until next Saturday or Sunday, and hope that from here until then, he hasn’t been moved to a different facility, and we didn’t miss our chance to see him.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

The 82-year-old couldn't believe it, then, when she found out last year that her Minnesota assisted living facility was prohibited from serving drinks to residents because it didn't have a licence.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

All the prisoners had been transported to a larger prison facility in Daejeon.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

The Czechoslovak Group, which acquired a German nitrocellulose facility, aims to secure the entire supply chain for artillery shells of various calibers within company facilities across several European countries by year-end.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

There would need to be 64 individual, elite-level training facilities for the qualifying nations.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

The copied data is being stored in the massive data storage facilities at the CSCS, which is also home to Alps, one of the world's most powerful supercomputers.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

The leak was from GKN Aerospace facilities that makes canopies for F-35 fighter jets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2026

The bunks for non-Arcanum students were on the fourth floor of the east wing of Mews, farthest from the bathing facilities on the ground floor.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Related Words

• accommodation
• amenity
• equipment
• material
• resource
• tool