What does "facility" mean?

1. (amenities or equipment) the buildings, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose. 2. (a specialized building) a building or place that is designed for a specific job or activity. 3. (natural talent or ease) a natural ability to do something easily and well. 4. (financial credit) an arrangement with a bank that allows a person or company to borrow money. 5. (a toilet) a polite way to talk about a toilet or bathroom in a public place.

How do you use "facility"?

Often followed by the preposition 'for'. Almost always used in the plural form 'facilities'.

Is it correct to say "The facility of the hotel is good."?

No — say "The facilities at the hotel are good.". When referring to amenities like pools or gyms, use the plural form 'facilities'.

facility

US //fəˈsɪɫɪti// UK //fəsˈɪlɪti// fa·cil·i·ty

1 amenities or equipment (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the buildings, equipment, or services that are provided for a particular purpose.

the physical infrastructure, equipment, or services provided to facilitate a specific activity or public need.

Example

The hotel has excellent leisure facilities, including a gym and a heated swimming pool.

Example

The local council invested heavily in upgrading the town's recycling facilities to meet new environmental standards.
Pitfall

The facility of the hotel is good.

The facilities at the hotel are good.

When referring to amenities like pools or gyms, use the plural form 'facilities'.
2 a specialized building (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a building or place that is designed for a specific job or activity.

a discrete building, complex, or site designed for a specific institutional, industrial, or military function.

Example

The company is building a new research facility just outside the city.

Example

The high-security facility was designed to house sensitive data servers while maintaining a minimal carbon footprint.

Show 3 more sensesShow fewer

3 natural talent or ease (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

a natural ability to do something easily and well.

an aptitude or skill that allows for the effortless performance of a task.

Example

She has an amazing facility for learning new languages in just a few months.

Example

His remarkable facility with mathematics allowed him to solve the complex equations while his peers were still reading the prompt.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'for'.
- difficulty
- clumsiness
4 financial credit (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Finance

an arrangement with a bank that allows a person or company to borrow money.

a formal arrangement between a financial institution and a client, such as an overdraft or line of credit.

Example

The bank granted the small business a credit facility to help with their monthly costs.

Example

The corporation negotiated a multi-currency revolving credit facility to ensure liquidity during the merger process.
- credit line
- loan arrangement
5 a toilet (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal American English

a polite way to talk about a toilet or bathroom in a public place.

a euphemistic term for a restroom or lavatory, typically used in the plural.

Example

Excuse me, could you tell me where the nearest facilities are?

Example

The event organizers failed to provide adequate facilities for the thousands of spectators who attended the outdoor concert.

Usage

Almost always used in the plural form 'facilities'.

Origin

From Middle English facilite, from Middle French facilité, and its source, Latin facilitās. By surface analysis, facile + -ity. Doublet of faculty.