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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Faculty \Fac"ul*ty\, n.; pl. {Faculties}. [F. facult?, L.
facultas, fr. facilis easy (cf. facul easily), fr. fecere to
make. See {Fact}, and cf. {Facility}.]
1. Ability to act or perform, whether inborn or cultivated;
capacity for any natural function; especially, an original
mental power or capacity for any of the well-known classes
of mental activity; psychical or soul capacity; capacity
for any of the leading kinds of soul activity, as
knowledge, feeling, volition; intellectual endowment or
gift; power; as, faculties of the mind or the soul.
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But know that in the soul
Are many lesser faculties that serve
Reason as chief. --Milton.
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What a piece of work is a man ! how noble in reason
! how infinite in faculty ! --Shak.
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2. Special mental endowment; characteristic knack.
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He had a ready faculty, indeed, of escaping from any
topic that agitated his too sensitive and nervous
temperament. --Hawthorne.
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3. Power; prerogative or attribute of office. [R.]
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This Duncan
Hath borne his faculties so meek. --Shak.
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4. Privilege or permission, granted by favor or indulgence,
to do a particular thing; authority; license;
dispensation.
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The pope . . . granted him a faculty to set him free
from his promise. --Fuller.
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It had not only faculty to inspect all bishops'
dioceses, but to change what laws and statutes they
should think fit to alter among the colleges.
--Evelyn.
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5. A body of a men to whom any specific right or privilege is
granted; formerly, the graduates in any of the four
departments of a university or college (Philosophy, Law,
Medicine, or Theology), to whom was granted the right of
teaching (profitendi or docendi) in the department in
which they had studied; at present, the members of a
profession itself; as, the medical faculty; the legal
faculty, etc.
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6. (Amer. Colleges) The body of person to whom are intrusted
the government and instruction of a college or university,
or of one of its departments; the president, professors,
and tutors in a college.
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{Dean of faculty}. See under {Dean}.

{Faculty of advocates}. (Scot.) See under {Advocate}.

Syn: Talent; gift; endowment; dexterity; expertness;
cleverness; readiness; ability; knack.
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