noun

faculty

A natural mental or physical ability.

She has a remarkable faculty for remembering names and faces.

Etymology

Latin facultas meant capability or power. The mental and physical sense retains that meaning by naming an ability available to a person.

More examples

The injury temporarily affected his faculty of speech.
Even at ninety, my grandmother retains all her mental faculties.
Comparing conflicting reports helps students develop their critical faculties.

faculty · faculties

ability: A broader term covering both natural powers and learned skills.
capacity: Often emphasizes potential rather than an ability already demonstrated.
talent: Suggests special natural skill, rather than a basic human power.