fac·ul·ty

[fak-uhl-tee]
noun, plural fac·ul·ties.
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.
a.
the entire teaching and administrative force of a university, college, or school.
b.
one of the departments of learning, as theology, medicine, or law, in a university.
c.
the teaching body, sometimes with the students, in any of these departments.
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.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English faculte < Anglo-French, Middle French < Latin facultāt- (stem of facultās) ability, power, equivalent to facil(is) easy (see facile) + -tāt- -ty2; cf. facility

Related forms
in·ter·fac·ul·ty, noun, plural in·ter·fac·ul·ties, adjective
pro·fac·ul·ty, adjective
un·der·fac·ul·ty, noun, plural un·der·fac·ul·ties.

Synonyms
1. capacity, aptitude, knack, potential, skill. See ability.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
faculty (ˈfækəltɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , 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.  a.  a department within a university or college devoted to a particular branch of knowledge
 b.  the staff of such a department
 c.  chiefly (US), (Canadian) all the teaching staff at a university, college, school, etc
5.  all members of a learned profession
6.  archaic occupation
 
[C14 (in the sense: department of learning): from Latin facultās capability; related to Latin facilis easy]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

faculty
late 14c., "ability, means, resources," from O.Fr. faculté, from L. facultatem (nom. facultas) "power, ability, wealth," from *facli-tat-s, from facilis (see facile). Academic sense was probably the earliest in English (attested in Anglo-L. 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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

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

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
As well as its own faculty, it draws academics and expertise from the rest of
  the university, offering students a good choice.
College students, faculty or staff, please visit our college rate page.
Print or digital subscriptions at the college rate are available to current
  college faculty, staff, administrators and students.
One reason so many colleges have improved is the profusion of able faculty
  members.
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