fakultativní

Fakultativní is a Czech adjective meaning optional or discretionary. It describes something that is available as a choice but is not required or mandatory. The term is derived from Latin facultativus and is used across various fields to distinguish between obligatory and non-obligatory elements.

In education and everyday usage, fakultativní refers to items or activities that students may choose to participate in, such as fakultativní předmět (an elective course) or fakultativní cvičení (optional exercises). It is common in policies and curricula to indicate which parts are compulsory and which are fakultativní.

In science and medicine, the term is used to describe conditions or actions that are not obligatory. For example, fakultativní pitva (elective autopsy) refers to an autopsy performed when consent, circumstances, or institutional policy permit, in contrast to povinná (mandatory) pitva. In biology and ecology, fakultativní can describe organisms or interactions that can occur under a range of conditions but are not essential for survival or reproduction, such as fakultativně anaerobní organisms that can grow with or without oxygen, unlike obligátně (obligate) anaerobes.

Overall, fakultativní conveys a sense of optionality that is recognized within a given framework or system, contrasted with obligatory or mandatory elements. It is commonly translated as “facultative” or “optional” in English contexts.