facility

noun

fa·​cil·​i·​ty fə-ˈsi-lə-tē How to pronounce facility (audio)
plural facilities
1
: the quality of being easily performed
2
: ease in performance : aptitude
has a great facility for writing
3
: readiness of compliance
4
a(1)
: something that makes an action, operation, or course of conduct easier
usually used in plural
facilities for study
The resort has a wide range of facilities for young and old alike.
(2)
: lavatory sense 2
often used in plural
b
: something (such as a hospital) that is built, installed, or established to serve a particular purpose

Examples of facility in a Sentence

The facilities are at the end of the corridor. He had a great facility for writing. He had great facility with words. She handled the crisis with facility.
Recent Examples on the Web The 8-year-old Entertainment and Sports Arena is home to the WNBA’s Washington Mystics and the NBA G-league’s Capital City Go-Go and also serves as the Wizards’ practice facility. Ashraf Khalil, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 The primary improvements, including overnight respite and expanding library hours, addressed some of the most prominent criticism the city received last summer about lacking resources when city facilities closed. Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 Opened in 2017, this 25,000-square-foot facility boasts a state-of-the-art planetarium with an 8K visual system displaying 16 million colors through 3-D capable projectors, as well as a 500,000-gallon aquarium with sharks, sting rays, and much more. Jessica Poitevien, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024 The executive order, signed on February 22, banned transgender athletes from competing on girls’ or women’s sports leagues and teams at county facilities. Michelle Watson, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 The main element of the 2021 law is that owners must register their facilities with the state and undergo fire and health inspections. Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 3 Mar. 2024 Before the breach by gangs, the overcrowded facility had 3,696 prisoners, according to the U.N. political office in Port-au-Prince. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 3 Mar. 2024 The new hospital, Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health, is set to open in 2025 on St. Elizabeths East campus where last year Whitman Walker Health opened a new seven-story primary care and research facility. Jenna Portnoy, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 The facility is scheduled to open in mid-March, with products expected to be ready for sale by April. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'facility.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English facilite "gentleness," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French facilité "quality of being easily performed," borrowed from Latin facilitāt-, facilitās, from facilis "easy, facile" + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of facility was in 1531

Dictionary Entries Near facility

Cite this Entry

“Facility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facility. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

facility

noun
fa·​cil·​i·​ty fə-ˈsil-ət-ē How to pronounce facility (audio)
plural facilities
1
: freedom from difficulty : ease
handled with facility
2
: skill and ease in doing something
a great facility for writing well
3
a
: something that makes an action, operation, or activity easier
usually used in plural
facilities for study
b
: something (as a hospital) that is put up for a particular purpose

Medical Definition

facility

noun
fa·​cil·​i·​ty fə-ˈsil-ət-ē How to pronounce facility (audio)
plural facilities
1
: the quality of being easily performed
2
: ease in performance : aptitude
3
: something (as a hospital) that is built, installed, or established to serve a particular purpose

More from Merriam-Webster on facility

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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