Faculty — Defs

01 n. Ability to act or perform, whether inborn or cultivated; capacity for any natural function; especially, an original mental power or capacit…

pl. Faculties ((#))

1.
Ability to act or perform, whether inborn or cultivated; capacity for any natural function; especially, an original mental power or capacity for any of the well-known classes of mental activity; psychical or soul capacity; capacity for any of the leading kinds of soul activity, as knowledge, feeling, volition; intellectual endowment or gift; power; as, faculties of the mind or the soul.
“But know that in the soul Are many lesser faculties that serve Reason as chief.” — Milton.

“What a piece of work is a man ! how noble in reason ! how infinite in faculty !” — Shak.
2.
Special mental endowment; characteristic knack.
“He had a ready faculty, indeed, of escaping from any topic that agitated his too sensitive and nervous temperament.” — Hawthorne.
3.
Power; prerogative or attribute of office.[R.]
“This Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek.” — Shak.
4.
Privilege or permission, granted by favor or indulgence, to do a particular thing; authority; license; dispensation.
“The pope . . . granted him a faculty to set him free from his promise.” — Fuller.

“It had not only faculty to inspect all bishops' dioceses, but to change what laws and statutes they should think fit to alter among the colleges.” — Evelyn.
5.
A body of a men to whom any specific right or privilege is granted; formerly, the graduates in any of the four departments of a university or college (Philosophy, Law, Medicine, or Theology), to whom was granted the right of teaching (profitendi or docendi) in the department in which they had studied; at present, the members of a profession itself; as, the medical faculty; the legal faculty, etc.
6.
The body of person to whom are intrusted the government and instruction of a college or university, or of one of its departments; the president, professors, and tutors in a college.(Amer. Colleges)

Phrases & compounds

Dean of faculty — See under Dean.

Faculty of advocates — See under Advocate.

Syn. Talent; gift; endowment; dexterity; expertness; cleverness; readiness; ability; knack.