facultative

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈfækəlˌteɪtɪv/ UK /ˈfækəltətɪv/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
optional rather than obligatory; capable of but not bound to occur

Many bacteria are facultative, surviving with or without oxygen.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · optional rather than... optional discretionary voluntary contingent permissive

Opposites

obligatory compulsory mandatory obligate

Word family

Derived forms facultatively

Related forms faculty facility

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

facultative parasite
an organism able to live either as a parasite or independently

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From French facultatif, from Latin facultas ('capability, faculty'), from facilis ('easy'), from facere ('to do, make').

facultas Latin facere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# facultative

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈfækəlˌteɪtɪv/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈfækəltətɪv/

## Meanings
1. optional rather than obligatory; capable of but not bound to occur

## Examples
- Many bacteria are facultative, surviving with or without oxygen.

## Synonyms
- optional
- discretionary
- voluntary
- contingent
- permissive

## Antonyms
- obligatory
- compulsory
- mandatory
- obligate

## Derived Forms
- facultatively

## Related Forms
- faculty
- facility

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: facultas
- Root: facere

## Etymology
From French facultatif, from Latin facultas ('capability, faculty'), from facilis ('easy'), from facere ('to do, make').

## AI Etymology
Facultative is from French facultatif, from Latin facultas ('capability, faculty'), from facilis ('easy'), from facere ('to do, make'). Important recorded forms include facultas (Latin) and facere (Latin). The current sense covers optional rather than obligatory; capable of but not bound to occur. The wider family includes derived forms such as facultatively and related words such as faculty and facility.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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