1. (n.) 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.

2. (n.) Special mental endowment; characteristic knack.

3. (n.) Power; prerogative or attribute of office.

4. (n.) Privilege or permission, granted by favor or indulgence, to do a particular thing; authority; license; dispensation.

5. (n.) 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.

6. (n.) The body of person to whom are entrusted the government and instruction of a college or university, or of one of its departments; the president, professors, and tutors in a college.

ability ableness absolute power absolutism adequacy adroitness appurtenance aptitude aptness authority authorization bent birthright bump caliber capability capableness capacity claim cleverness competence competency conjugal right consciousness constituted authority delegated authority demand department dexterity discipline dispensation divine right dower dowry droit due efficacy efficiency endowment equipment facility faculties fitness flair forte function genius gift inalienable right indirect authority inherent authority instinct intellectual gifts intellectuals interest jus divinum knack lawful authority leaning legal authority legitimacy liberty long suit makings members metier natural endowment natural gift natural right nose parts penchant permission personnel potential power powers predilection prerogative prescription presumptive right pretense pretension privilege proclivity professorate professordom professoriate professors proficiency propensity proper claim property property right qualification quality regality right rightful authority royal prerogative sanction school senses skill speciality staff strong flair strong point sufficiency susceptibility talent talents the goods the say the say-so the stuff title turn vested authority vested interest vested right vicarious authority what it takes wits