facoltative

Facoltative is an adjective used in Italian to describe something that is optional or not mandatory. In Italian, the adjective inflects for gender and number: facoltativo (masculine singular), facoltativa (feminine singular), facoltativi (masculine plural), and facoltative (feminine plural). It is commonly used in everyday language to indicate discretionary choices or non-obligatory elements, such as una funzione facoltativa (an optional feature) or partecipazione facoltativa (optional participation).

Etymology and meaning share a common origin with the English term facultative, both deriving from Latin facultas, meaning ability or opportunity. The sense of options, choice, or discretion is central to both languages’ usage.

In English, facultative is a technical term borrowed from Latin, meaning not required but available as an option. It is widely used in biology to describe organisms or processes that can occur under various conditions but are not compulsory for survival. Examples include facultative anaerobes, which can grow with or without oxygen, and facultative parasites, which can behave as parasites under certain conditions but are not strictly dependent on a host. Beyond biology, facultative is used in general discourse to indicate optional features, modules, or steps in software, procedures, or curricula, contrasted with mandatory or obligatory elements.

Related terms in Italian include opzionale (alternative or optional), non obbligatorio (not obligatory), and discrezionale (discretionary). In English, synonyms encompass optional, elective, voluntary, and non-mandatory.

See also: optionality, elective, discretionary, obligatory.