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

“It’s a tough situation for faculty,” Goldman said.

From Los Angeles Times

You can almost imagine its former life — department memos, summons from the dean, the occasional illicit letter between English faculty — now repurposed to dole out parsley, marjoram, garlic powder.

From Salon

As part of a settlement, the university could easily re-emphasize its March ban on requiring “diversity statements” in faculty hiring.

From Los Angeles Times

Susan Stokes, a political science professor at the University of Chicago and faculty chair of the Chicago Center on Democracy, agreed.

From Salon

In 1990, he became a full-time academic, starting as chair and later becoming dean of Woodbury University’s School of Architecture, where he earned multiple distinctions, including teacher and faculty member of the year honors.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• department 
• institute 
• personnel 
• staff 
• university