faculty

fac·ul·ty

noun \ˈfa-kəl-tē\

plural fac·ul·ties

Definition of FACULTY

1

: ability, power: as a : innate or acquired ability to act or do b : an inherent capability, power, or function <the faculty of hearing> c : any of the powers of the mind formerly held by psychologists to form a basis for the explanation of all mental phenomena d : natural aptitude <has a faculty for saying the right things>

2

a : a branch of teaching or learning in an educational institution b archaic : something in which one is trained or qualified

3

a : the members of a profession b : the teaching and administrative staff and those members of the administration having academic rank in an educational institution c faculty plural : faculty members <many faculty were present>

4

: power, authority, or prerogative given or conferred

Examples of FACULTY

1. She's a member of the Harvard faculty.
2. The school hired more faculty.
3. a meeting with students and faculty
4. She has a faculty for making friends.
5. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

Origin of FACULTY

Middle English faculte, from Anglo-French faculté, from Medieval Latin & Latin; Medieval Latin facultat-, facultas branch of learning or teaching, from Latin, ability, abundance, from facilis facile

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to FACULTY

Synonyms: power

Antonyms: disability, inability, incapability, incapableness, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineptitude, ineptness

Related Words: function; capability, capacity; aptitude, endowment, flair, genius, gift, instinct, knack, talent

Near Antonyms: inability, incapability, incapacity; inaptitude, inaptness, ineptness

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See Synonym Discussion at gift

Other Education Terms

baccalaureate, colloquium, corequisite, dissertation, monograph, pedant, practicum, survey course, thesis