faculty
noun
fac·ul·ty
ˈfa-kəl-tē 
plural faculties
1
a
: innate or acquired ability to act or do
man … how infinite in faculty—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
b
: an inherent capability, power, or function
the faculty of hearing
c
: any of the powers of the mind (such as will, reason, or instinct) formerly held by psychologists to form a basis for the explanation of all mental phenomena
d
: natural aptitude
has a faculty for saying the right things
2
a
: a branch of teaching or learning (such as law, medicine, or liberal arts) in an educational institution
b
archaic
: something in which one is trained or qualified
3
a
: the members of a profession
b
: the teaching and administrative staff and those members of the administration having academic rank in an educational institution
an excellent mathematics faculty
c
faculty plural
: faculty members
many faculty were present
4
: power, authority, or prerogative given or conferred
The state has the faculty to define treason.
Examples of faculty in a Sentence
She's a member of the Harvard faculty.
The school hired more faculty.
a meeting with students and faculty
She has a faculty for making friends.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kincaid, like all of the faculty members at FIU who spoke to the Miami Herald, sees the hollowing out of general education as political interference undermining academic freedom.
—Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Allen Ginsberg, for instance, was a faculty member at Naropa University and co-founded the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
The university has a faculty member named Michael Kessler, but he is listed as an associate professor of the practice of government and an adjunct professor of law.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Barnard told faculty members with classes there after 5 p.m. Wednesday to either relocate or cancel.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for faculty
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Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025
Allen Ginsberg, for instance, was a faculty member at Naropa University and co-founded the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics.
—Benjamin Adams, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
The university has a faculty member named Michael Kessler, but he is listed as an associate professor of the practice of government and an adjunct professor of law.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025
Barnard told faculty members with classes there after 5 p.m. Wednesday to either relocate or cancel.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for faculty
Articles Related to faculty
Cite this Entry
“Faculty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faculty. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
faculty
noun
fac·ul·ty
ˈfak-əl-tē
plural faculties
1
: ability to do something : talent
a faculty for making friends
2
: one of the powers of the mind or body
the faculty of hearing
3
: the teachers in a school or college
Medical Definition
faculty
noun
fac·ul·ty
ˈfak-əl-tē
plural faculties
1
a
: an inherent capability, power, or function
the faculty of hearing
digestive faculty
b
: one of the powers of the mind formerly held by psychologists to form a basis for the explanation of all mental phenomena
2
a
: the members of a profession
b
: the teaching and administrative staff and those members of the administration having academic rank in an educational institution
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