Law, a privilege granted to a person, by favour and indulgence, of doing what, by law, he ought not to do.

For granting these privileges, there is a court under the archbishop of Canterbury, called the court of the faculties. The chief officer of this court is styled master of the faculties, and has a power of granting dispensations in divers cases: as to marry without the bans being first published, to eat flesh on days prohibited, to ordain a deacon under age, for a son to succeed his father in his benefice, a clerk to hold two or more livings, &c.

the schools, a term applied to the different members of an university, divided according to the arts and sciences taught there: thus in most universities there are four faculties, viz. 1. Of arts, which include humanity and philosophy. 2. Of theology. 3. Of physic. And. 4. Of civil law.

Faculty of Advocates. See Advocates.

Faculty is also used to denote the powers of the human mind, viz. understanding, will, memory, and imagination. See Metaphysics.

Fæces, in Chemistry, the gross matter, or sediment, that settles at the bottom after distillation, fermentation, and the like.—The faeces of wine are commonly called Lees.

Fæces, in Medicine, the excrements voided by stool. See Excrements.

Fæculent, in general, is applied to things abounding with faeces or dregs: thus the blood and other humours of the human body are said to be fæculent, when without that purity which is necessary to health.