Faculty — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈfa-kəl-tē/ fac·ul·ty

Meaning & Definition of Faculty

Faculty (noun)

  1. ability, power
  2. innate or acquired ability to act or do
  3. an inherent capability, power, or function

Faculty (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a natural ability of the mind or body

    "although they are well into their 80s, the mental faculties of this couple are as sharp as ever"

    similar: power
    related: function, capability, capacity, aptitude, endowment, flair, genius, gift, instinct, knack, talent
    near: inability, incapability, incapacity, inaptitude, inaptness, ineptness

  2. a special and usually inborn ability

    "even when he was still at a young age, John Singleton Copley's artistic faculties were readily recognizable"

    similar: aptitude, bent, endowment, flair, genius, gift, head, knack, talent
    related: affinity, bias, disposition, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, ear, eye, mind, nose, feel, hang, instinct, touch, way, capability, competence, facility, proficiency, skill, capacity, potential, power, forte, specialism, speciality, specialty
    near: disability, handicap, inability, incapacity, shortcoming, weakness

  3. the physical or mental power to do something

    "the belief that if someone loses their sight, all of their other physical faculties are heightened"

    similar: ability, capability, capableness, capacity, competence, competency
    related: aptitude, aptness, endowment, equipment, facility, gift, knack, talent, address, adroitness, deftness, dexterity, hand, prowess, skill, gray matter, instinct, intelligence, ken, reason, understanding, might, potency, puissance, staying power, stuff, adequacy, effectiveness, effectualness, fitness, form, influence, resourcefulness, usefulness, means, resources, wherewithal
    opposite: disability, inability, incapability, incapableness, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineptitude, ineptness
    near: helplessness, impotence, paralysis, powerlessness, weakness, defectiveness, deficiency, inadequacy, inadequateness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, uselessness, debilitation, disablement, impairment, incapacitation

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Faculty

The most common words with a similar meaning to Faculty:

power, aptitude, bent, endowment, flair, genius, gift, head, knack, talent, ability, capability, capableness, capacity, competence, competency

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Faculty

Words with the opposite meaning of Faculty:

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

Related Words for Faculty

function, instinct, affinity, bias, disposition, habitude, impulse, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, ear, eye, mind, nose, feel, hang, touch, way, facility, proficiency, skill, potential, forte

Near Antonyms of Faculty

inaptitude, inaptness, handicap, shortcoming, weakness, helplessness, impotence, paralysis, powerlessness, defectiveness, deficiency, inadequacy, inadequateness, ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficaciousness, inefficacy, uselessness, debilitation, disablement, impairment, incapacitation

Word Forms of Faculty

Inflections: faculties

Origin & Etymology of Faculty

Middle English faculte "power, ability, field of knowledge, branch of learning at a university," borrowed from Anglo-French faculté, borrowed from Medieval Latin facultāt-, facultās (Latin, "power, ability, opportunity, quantity available"), from Latin *faklis, earlier form of facilis "easy, accommodating" + -tāt-, -tās -ty facile

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Faculty

Words & Phrases Containing Faculty

interfaculty, subfaculty

Frequently Asked Questions about Faculty

What does "Faculty" mean?

"Faculty" means ability, power. As a noun, it is defined as: ability, power. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Faculty"?

Other words for "Faculty" include power, aptitude, bent, endowment, flair, genius, gift and head. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Faculty" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Faculty"?

There are 78 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Faculty". Common alternatives include power, aptitude, bent, endowment, flair, genius, gift, head, knack and talent.

What is the opposite of "Faculty"?

Antonyms of "Faculty" include disability, inability, incapability, incapableness, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency and ineptitude. Near antonyms include inaptitude, inaptness, handicap and shortcoming.

How do you use "Faculty" in a sentence?

Examples of "Faculty" in a sentence: "although they are well into their 80s, the mental faculties of this couple are as sharp as ever"; "even when he was still at a young age, John Singleton Copley's artistic faculties were readily recognizable"; "the belief that if someone loses their sight, all of their other physical faculties are heightened".

Is "Faculty" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Faculty" is a noun.

Is "Faculty" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Faculty" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Faculty"?

"Faculty" is pronounced /ˈfa-kəl-tē/ and divided into syllables as fac·ul·ty.