faculté

Faculté is a French noun with several related meanings. The term derives from Latin facultas, meaning power or ability. In general usage, it can refer to a person's mental or physical capacities, as in the faculties of perception or memory, and to the capacity to act legally or contractually. Expressions such as avoir ses facultés are common to denote one’s cognitive or sensory resources.

In higher education in French-speaking countries, faculté designates a large administrative division of a university responsible for a broad field of study. Each faculté groups together several disciplines and is led by a dean. Typical examples are la Faculté de droit, la Faculté des sciences, or la Faculté des lettres. Facultés may be subdivided into départements or institutes, with organization varying by country and institution. In some contexts, the term faculty is used as a synonym for a school or college within a university.

In legal or administrative language, faculté can designate the capacity or authorization to perform certain actions, or the powers granted to a person or body. For instance, a person may have la faculté de signer un contrat, or a jurisdiction may grant a certain faculté to an entity. The plural facultés is used for multiple abilities or for the faculties of a person; idioms include avoir toutes ses facultés or perdre ses facultés.

As a bilingual term, faculté is typically translated as "faculty" in English, with nuances depending on context: an educational division, an individual cognitive ability, or a legal capacity.