faculty
- 01 C1 Advanced
a natural power or ability of your mind or body, such as the ability to see, hear, or think clearly.
an inherent mental or physical power or capability. Often used in the plural to refer to one's cognitive or sensory functions.
Simple“Even at the age of ninety, he still had all his mental faculties.”
In context“The patient's physical faculties remained intact, though his cognitive processing had slowed significantly following the incident.”
Antonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a large department in a university that focuses on one area of study, like the Faculty of Law.
a primary division or department within a university or college, typically organised by subject area.
Simple“She is a professor in the Faculty of Science.”
In context“The Faculty of Arts and Humanities recently received a substantial grant to digitise its historical archives.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
the group of teachers and researchers who work at a college or university.
the collective body of academic staff, including professors and researchers, at an educational institution.
Simple“The university faculty voted to change the exam schedule.”
In context“The dean met with the faculty to discuss the proposed changes to the undergraduate curriculum for the upcoming academic year.”
UsageIn American English, 'faculty' refers to the people; in British English, it more commonly refers to the department.
Teacher's tipLearners should note that in the US, 'faculty' is often treated as a collective noun that can take a singular or plural verb.
Usage faculty of education · university faculty
“This week the University of Cambridge said it would run an independent review of “all relevant processes” alongside an investigation into how Prof Arday was appointed by its Faculty of Education.”
“The University of Cambridge vice-chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice led the tributes, saying the faculty was "desperately saddened" to learn of his death.”
From Middle English faculte (“power, property”), from Old French faculte, from Latin facultas (“capability, ability, skill, abundance, plenty, stock, goods, property; in Medieval Latin also a body of teachers”), another form of facilitas (“easiness, facility, etc.”), from facul, another form of facilis (“easy, facile”); see facile. Doublet of facility.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.