English Reference
noun

facility

n.
US /fəˈsɪɫɪti/ UK /fəsˈɪlɪti/ fa·cil·i·ty UK spelling facility's

  1. 01 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.

    Simple

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

    In context

    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. 02 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.

    Simple

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

    In context

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

  3. 03 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.

    Simple

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

    In context

    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'.

    difficultyclumsiness
  4. 04 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.

    Simple

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

    In context

    The corporation negotiated a multi-currency revolving credit facility to ensure liquidity during the merger process.

    credit lineloan arrangement
  5. 05 B2 Upper Intermediate FormalAmerican 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.

    Simple

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

    In context

    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'.

Usage facility allow · provide facility · require facility

A 2025 study of 97,276 births recorded between 2013 and 2018 across 10 major public health facilities found that 4,873, or 5.1 percent, resulted in stillbirths, an overall rate of 51.3 per 1,000 births.

Al Jazeera· 14 Aug 2026

Wildberries facilities have been hit more than 20 times over the past month.

Al Jazeera· 14 Aug 2026

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin facilitās
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Common
Updated