This Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek.
Shak.
4. Privilege or permission, granted by favor or indulgence, to do a
particular thing; authority; license; dispensation.
The pope . . . granted him a faculty to set him free from his
promise.
Fuller.
It had not only faculty to inspect all bishops' dioceses, but to
change what laws and statutes they should think fit to alter among
the colleges.
Evelyn.
5. 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, ect.
6. (Amer. Colleges) The body of person to whom are intrusted the
government and instruction of a college or university, or of one of its
departments; the president, professors, and tutors in a college.
Dean of faculty. See under Dean. -- Faculty of advocates. (Scot.) See
under Advocate.
Syn. -- Talent; gift; endowment; dexterity; expertness; cleverness;
readiness; ability; knack.