Faculties

[fak-uh l-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.
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.

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.
/ˈfækəltɪ/
noun (pl) -ties
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.

5.
all members of a learned profession
6.
(archaic) occupation
n.

early 16c., “powers or properties of one’s self,” also “physical functions;” plural of faculty.
n.

late 14c., “ability, means, resources,” from Old French faculté (14c.) “skill, accomplishment, learning,” and directly from Latin facultatem (nominative facultas) “power, ability, wealth,” from *facli-tat-s, from facilis (see facile).

Academic sense “branch of knowledge” probably was the earliest in English (attested in Anglo-Latin from late 12c.), on notion of “ability in knowledge.” Originally each department was a faculty; the use in reference to the whole teaching staff of a college dates from 1767.

faculty fac·ul·ty (fāk’əl-tē)
n.
A natural or specialized power of a living organism.