faculty

[fak-uhl-tee]

noun

plural

faculties 

1. an ability, natural or acquired, for a particular kind of action.

   a faculty for making friends easily.

   Synonyms: skill, potential, knack, aptitude, capacity

2. one of the powers of the mind, as memory, reason, or speech.

   Though very sick, he is in full possession of all his faculties.

3. an inherent capability of the body.

   the faculties of sight and hearing.

4. exceptional ability or aptitude.

   a president with a faculty for management.

5. Education.

   1. the entire teaching and administrative force of a university, college, or school.

   2. one of the departments of learning, as theology, medicine, or law, in a university.

   3. the teaching body, sometimes with the students, in any of these departments.

6. the members of a learned profession.

   the medical faculty.

7. a power or privilege conferred by the state, a superior, etc..

   The police were given the faculty to search the building.

8. Ecclesiastical.,  a dispensation, license, or authorization.

faculty

/ ˈfækəltɪ /

noun

1. one of the inherent powers of the mind or body, such as reason, memory, sight, or hearing

2. any ability or power, whether acquired or inherent

3. a conferred power or right

4. 1. a department within a university or college devoted to a particular branch of knowledge

   2. the staff of such a department

   3. all the teaching staff at a university, college, school, etc

5. all members of a learned profession

6. archaic,  occupation

Other Word Forms

• interfaculty noun
• profaculty adjective
• underfaculty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of faculty¹

1350–1400; Middle English faculte < Anglo-French, Middle French < Latin facultāt- (stem of facultās ) ability, power, equivalent to facil ( is ) easy ( facile ) + -tāt- -ty ²; facility

Word History and Origins

Origin of faculty¹

C14 (in the sense: department of learning): from Latin facultās capability; related to Latin facilis easy

Synonym Study

See ability.

Example Sentences

Georgia's 19 state universities will be required to concentrate on a single academic discipline under the slogan "one city, one faculty".

Read more on BBC

“We are short over 2,000 nursing faculty in the United States,” she said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

An earlier faculty senate report noted the SAT and ACT “add substantially to UC’s ability to predict student success” beyond high school grades.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In my experience, the problem is inseparable from how faculty are evaluated.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The event was typically a showcase for more experienced doctoral candidates, where students and faculty from across the university could see them present their work.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• department 
• institute 
• personnel 
• staff 
• university