faculties

IPA/fˈakəltiz/
KK[fˈækəltiz]IPA/fˈækəltiːz/

faculties — noun

1. the basic natural powers a person is born with for thinking clearly, remembering

1.nounC1
Definition

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.

Example

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

Common collocations
  • mental faculties
  • have all one's faculties
  • in possession of one's faculties
  • lose one's faculties
  • sharpen one's faculties
Synonyms
  • 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

Grammar Patterns

one's faculties

in possession of one's faculties

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

My grandfather has lost his faculty for remembering names.
My grandfather has lost some of his faculties.
in this meaning the word is almost always plural; the singular sounds wrong.

2. particular talents a person has for doing certain things well, such as picking u

2.nounC1
Definition

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.

Example

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

Common collocations
  • faculties for
  • creative faculties
  • remarkable faculties
  • develop one's faculties
Synonyms
  • talents

    everyday word, less formal than faculties

  • gifts

    stresses something inborn rather than learned

  • aptitudes

    formal, often used in education and testing

Grammar Patterns

a faculty for sth

faculties for doing sth

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

Roya has good faculties to draw.
Roya has good faculties for drawing.
the activity follows 'for' + noun or '-ing', not 'to' + infinitive.

3. the teachers and professors at two or more schools or universities, considered a

3.nounB2
Definition

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.

Example

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

Common collocations
  • the faculties of
  • university faculties
  • college faculties
  • across faculties
Synonyms
  • teaching staff

    more general, works on either side of the Atlantic

  • academics

    stresses scholars rather than instructors

  • professors

    informal cover term for university teachers

Antonyms
  • students

    the taught body, contrasted with the teaching body

  • administrators

    non-teaching staff who run the institution

Grammar Patterns

the faculties of [universities]

across multiple faculties

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

The faculties is meeting tonight.
The faculty is meeting tonight.' / 'The faculties are meeting tonight.
plural noun takes plural verb; if you mean only one school's teachers, use singular 'faculty'.

4. the main divisions of a university that group related subjects together, such as

4.nounB2
Definition

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.

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • faculties of law / medicine / arts
  • all faculties
  • across faculties
  • between faculties
Synonyms
  • schools

    American equivalent for major university divisions

  • departments

    smaller subject units, often grouped inside a faculty

  • divisions

    neutral term used at many institutions

Grammar Patterns

the faculties of [subject]

across all faculties

Usage Note

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.

Common Mistakes

I am studying at the literature faculties.
I am studying at the faculty of literature.' / 'in the literature faculty.
when speaking of one division, use singular 'faculty'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words can describe the basic mental and physical powers a person depends on day to day, but they are not interchangeable. 'Faculties' is the most formal and is the standard word in legal or medical writing — a court will ask whether someone is 'in possession of their faculties'. 'Senses' is broader and a little more everyday; it covers both the five senses and general sound judgement ('come to one's senses' means stop behaving foolishly). 'Wits' is informal and stresses quickness and presence of mind: 'she kept her wits about her' in a crisis. 'Mental powers' is a plain two-word equivalent often used in non-specialist writing about ageing or brain training. Compare: 'At ninety, Grandma Lotte still has all her faculties' (formal, respectful); 'She finally came to her senses and left the job' (everyday); 'He kept his wits about him during the fire' (informal, action-focused).

faculties ↗senses ↗wits ↗mental powers

Common collocations

Nouns

  • mental faculties
  • creative faculties
  • arts faculties
  • science faculties

Phrases

  • in possession of one's faculties
  • across all faculties
  • lose one's faculties

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The plural of 'faculty', which entered Middle English in the late fourteenth century from Old French 'faculte' and ultimately from Latin 'facultas', meaning ability, power, or skill. The Latin word was built on 'facilis', meaning easy or doable, the same root that gives us 'facile' and 'facility'. The earliest English uses described inborn mental and physical powers — the 'natural faculties' of seeing, hearing, and reasoning. The university meaning developed in the same period as medieval universities were divided into branches of learning (law, medicine, theology, arts), each called a 'faculty'. The plural 'faculties' is now used either for several such branches or, in American usage, for the teachers across several institutions.