Dictionary

facility en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /fəˈsɪlɪti/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English facilite, from Middle French facilité, and its source, Latin facilitās. By surface analysis, facile + -ity. Doublet of faculty.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The physical means or contrivances to make something (especially a public service) possible; the required equipment, infrastructure, location etc.
   • As though on an incendiary rampage, the fires systematically devoured the contents of Edison's headquarters and facilities. 2006, Edwin Black, chapter 1, in Internal Combustion:
   • Transport facilities in Bangkok are not sufficient to prevent frequent traffic collapses during rush hour.
   • A wide range of facilities is available at the sports center, including a weight room and saunas.
2. (countable, uncountable) A building or campus specially designed for a specific purpose, such as incarceration, military use, or scientific experimentation.
3. (countable, uncountable) The fact of being easy, or easily done; absence of difficulty; simplicity.
   • Clytomachus affirmed, that he could never understand by the writings of Carneades, what opinion he was of. Why hath Epicurus interdicted facility unto his Sectaries? 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
   • Since I had started to break down all my writing and get rid of all facility and try to make instead of describe, writing had been wonderful to do. But it was very difficult, and I did not know how I would ever write anything as long as a novel. It often took me a full morning of work to write a paragraph. 1964, Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 151:
4. (countable, uncountable) Dexterity of speech or action; skill, talent.
   • The facility she shows in playing the violin is unrivalled.
5. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable) Clipping of credit facility.
   alt of credit facility
6. (Canada, US, countable, in-plural, uncountable) A toilet.
7. (countable, qualifier:Scots law, uncountable) A condition of mental weakness less than idiocy, but enough to make a person easily persuaded to do something against their better interest.
8. (countable, dated, uncountable) Affability.

Forms

Deriveds

correctional facility · dining facility · materials recovery facility · facility trip · facility time · infacility · facility management · facility maintenance · nonfacility · interfacility · multifacility · cryofacility · N-facility

Synonyms

technique · hand · competency · dexterity · knack · touch · facility · capability · list · potential · ease · craft · aptitude · capacity · ability · ease · proficiency · moxie · cunning · knack · skill · prowess · competence · talent · tekkers

Translations (135)

fr installation (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ar سُهُولَة (fact of being easy) · ur سُہُولَت (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ro facilitate (dexterity, skill) · fr facilité (fact of being easy) · ru приспособле́ния (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · sk vybavenie (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ja 施設 (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · uk примі́щення (building or campus) · ky жөндөмдүүлүк (dexterity, skill) · ru уме́ние (dexterity, skill) · ar مَرَافِق (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · nl inrichting (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · cmn 設備 /设备 (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · bg обору́дване (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · az asanlıq (fact of being easy) · hi सुविधा (fact of being easy) · fi fasiliteetti (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · nl voorziening (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ru простота́ (fact of being easy) · sh infrastruktura (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · es usina (building or campus) · pt facilidade (fact of being easy) · bg съоръже́ние (building or campus) · fi helppous (fact of being easy) · fi taito (dexterity, skill) · da funktion (om maskine el.lign.) (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ga áis (building or campus) · fa-ira سُهولَت (fact of being easy) · ru удо́бства (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · bg леснина́ (fact of being easy) · de Leichtigkeit (dexterity, skill) · it strumento (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · id fasilitas (building or campus) · de Leichtigkeit (fact of being easy) · nn fasilitet (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · bg сръ́чност (dexterity, skill) · ru помеще́ние (building or campus) · de Anlage (building or campus) · ru лёгкость (fact of being easy) · uk апарату́ра (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · de Anlage (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · fi mukavuudet (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · bg лекота́ (fact of being easy) · pt instalação (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · es facilidad (dexterity, skill) · it mezzo (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · az müəssisə (building or campus) · sk zariadenie (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · fr matériel (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · az çeviklik (dexterity, skill) · lb Facilitéit (dexterity, skill) · ru обору́дование (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · uk інфраструкту́ра (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · fi laitos (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · nb fasilitet (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · de Vorrichtung (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ga áis (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ota قولای (fact of being easy) · gd goireas (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ru учрежде́ния (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · pl zdolność (dexterity, skill) · bg уме́ние (dexterity, skill) · da færdighed (dexterity, skill) · gl facilidade (fact of being easy) · ru ло́вкость (dexterity, skill) · az avadanlıq (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · de Einrichtung (building or campus) · da mulighed (fact of being easy) · fr pôle (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · hu létesítmény (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · es facilidad (fact of being easy) · ky зээндүүлүк (dexterity, skill) · uk ле́гкість (fact of being easy) · nl gemak (dexterity, skill) · da facilitet (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · it facilità (dexterity, skill) · fi taitavuus (dexterity, skill) · fr facilité (dexterity, skill) · es factoría (building or campus) · fr établissement (building or campus) · cs vybavení (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · es recinto (building or campus) · de Einrichtung (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · it struttura (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ko 시설 (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · cs zařízení (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · pl łatwość (fact of being easy) · sv anläggning (building or campus) · ur سُہُولَت (fact of being easy) · fi laitos (building or campus) · de Ausstattung (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · nl faciliteit (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ky ийкемдүүлүк (dexterity, skill) · fr équipement (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · hi सुविधा (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · pl placówka (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · sh uređaji (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · vi cơ sở (building or campus) · or ସୁବିଧା (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · bg приспособле́ния (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · pl zaplecze (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · de Mühelosigkeit (fact of being easy) · ru зда́ния (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · es facilidades (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · az zirəklik (dexterity, skill) · pl zakład (building or campus) · bg съоръже́ние (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · pl zręczność (dexterity, skill) · de Fertigkeit (dexterity, skill) · de Komplex (building or campus) · ky жарамдуулук (dexterity, skill) · id fasilitas (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · fr infrastructure (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · az təminat (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ru заведе́ние (building or campus) · fr centre (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ru ги́бкость (dexterity, skill) · tr tesis (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ga deis (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · nl aanleg (dexterity, skill) · uk умі́ння (dexterity, skill) · de Geschicklichkeit (dexterity, skill) · uk обла́днання (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ru аппарату́ра (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · pt facilidade (dexterity, skill) · pl prostota (fact of being easy) · pl obiekt (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · az cəldlik (dexterity, skill) · az müəssisə (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ar مُنْشَأَة (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · pl umiejętność (dexterity, skill) · az diribaşlıq (dexterity, skill) · el εγκαταστάσεις (physical means or contrivance for doing something) · ga éascaíocht (dexterity, skill)