faculties
faculties — noun
1. the basic natural powers a person is born with for thinking clearly, remembering
the basic natural powers a person is born with for thinking clearly, remembering, seeing, hearing, and moving — usually mentioned together when talking about whether someone still has them in old age or after an illness.
At ninety-two, Grandma Lotte still has all her faculties and reads two books a week.
have all one's faculties — fixed phrase about being mentally sharp
The stroke left Ramón weak on one side, but his mental faculties were completely unharmed.
mental faculties — common collocation for thinking abilities
Tamar drinks black coffee every morning to sharpen her faculties before the long meeting.
The witness was tired and frightened, so the judge asked whether she was in full possession of her faculties.
Long flights leave Hugo so jet-lagged that his faculties barely work for two days.
- wits
informal, similar fixed phrase 'have one's wits about one'
- senses
overlaps but emphasises perception and sound judgement
- mental powers
two-word equivalent often used in medical or legal writing
文法句型
one's faculties
in possession of one's faculties
用法筆記
Almost always plural in this meaning. Frequently appears in the fixed phrases 'have all one's faculties', 'mental faculties', and 'in (full) possession of one's faculties'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense covers the basic powers everyone has (seeing, thinking, remembering), not a special talent.
常見錯誤
2. particular talents a person has for doing certain things well, such as picking u
particular talents a person has for doing certain things well, such as picking up languages, judging colour, or remembering faces — often used in the plural to list several gifts together.
Wren showed remarkable faculties for music from the age of three, playing tunes by ear.
faculties for + noun — typical pattern for listing talents
The young architect was praised for her creative faculties and her sharp eye for detail.
creative faculties — common collocation
Ritu has unusual faculties for picking up languages and now speaks five fluently.
Long years on the farm developed Lakan's faculties for reading the weather from the clouds.
文法句型
a faculty for sth
faculties for doing sth
用法筆記
Takes 'for' + noun or '-ing' to name the activity (faculties for music / for picking up tunes). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 covers basic powers everyone has, while sense 2 names special talents not everyone possesses. Singular 'a faculty for' is more common than the plural for this meaning.
常見錯誤
3. the teachers and professors at two or more schools or universities, considered a
the teachers and professors at two or more schools or universities, considered as a single group — usually mentioned when comparing institutions, listing positions across several campuses, or talking about a system as a whole.
The faculties of Harvard and Yale signed a joint letter supporting the protesting students.
the faculties of [institution] and [institution] — typical American usage
Salary cuts affected the faculties of every public university in the state of Ohio.
the faculties of every [type of] university — collective reference
Christopher interviewed faculties across twelve community colleges for his book on rural education.
Both faculties voted to reject the new academic calendar at last week's meeting.
- teaching staff
more general, works on either side of the Atlantic
- academics
stresses scholars rather than instructors
- professors
informal cover term for university teachers
- students
the taught body, contrasted with the teaching body
- administrators
non-teaching staff who run the institution
文法句型
the faculties of [universities]
across multiple faculties
用法筆記
American English, plural form. Used when referring to teaching staff at more than one institution; for a single institution, 'the faculty' (singular) is more common. Distinguish from sense 4: this sense means the people who teach, while sense 4 means academic departments.
常見錯誤
4. the main divisions of a university that group related subjects together, such as
the main divisions of a university that group related subjects together, such as the medicine division or the arts division — usually mentioned when describing how a university is organised, listing programmes, or moving between branches.
Oxford has separate faculties of law, medicine, and theology, each with its own dean.
faculties of [subject], [subject], and [subject] — listing pattern
Élise transferred between two faculties before settling on history in her second year.
Budget cuts hit the arts and humanities faculties harder than the sciences.
The new library will be open to students from all faculties across the university.
- schools
American equivalent for major university divisions
- departments
smaller subject units, often grouped inside a faculty
- divisions
neutral term used at many institutions
文法句型
the faculties of [subject]
across all faculties
用法筆記
British and Commonwealth English. Used when listing the major subject divisions of a single university; American universities more often use 'schools' or 'colleges' for the same structure. Distinguish from sense 3: this sense names departments, while sense 3 names the teachers themselves.