faculty

Meaning

Noun

• The academic staff at schools, colleges, universities or not-for-profit research institutes, as opposed to the students or support staff.
• A division of a university.
• Often in the plural: an ability, power, or skill.
• An authority, power, or privilege conferred by a higher authority.
• A licence to make alterations to a church.
• The members of a profession.

Origin

• From Middle English faculte ("power, property"), from Old French faculte, from Latin facultas ("capability, ability, skill, abundance, plenty, stock, goods, property; in {{der") also a body of teachers}}, another form of facilitas, from facul, another form of facilis; see facile. facility.