faculty

American  

[fak-uhl-tee] / ˈfæk əl ti /

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.

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faculty British  

/ 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

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Related Words

See ability.

Other Word Forms

• interfaculty noun
• profaculty adjective
• underfaculty noun

Etymology

Origin of faculty

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

Example Sentences

University faculty and academic observers note that while students have a constitutional right to express personal beliefs, instructors have the authority to assess assignments on their academic merit.

From Salon

After a year of internal furor at Harvard and a faculty vote of no confidence, Summers eventually stepped down as president.

From Salon

The pact promised to bring Palestinian faculty and undergraduates to the university and build a new space for Muslim students on campus, among other commitments.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

From BBC

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

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• department
• institute
• personnel
• staff
• university