facultative
[ fak-uh l-tey-tiv ]
/ ˈfæk əlˌteɪ tɪv /
adjective
conferring a faculty, privilege, permission, or the power of doing or not doing something: a facultative enactment.
left to one's option or choice; optional: The last questions in the examination were facultative.
that may or may not take place; that may or may not assume a specified character.
Biology.
having the capacity to live under more than one specific set of environmental conditions, as a plant that can lead either a parasitic or a nonparasitic life or a bacterium that can live with or without air (opposed to obligate).
of or relating to the faculties.
Origin of facultative
OTHER WORDS FROM facultative
fac·ul·ta·tive·ly, adverb non·fac·ul·ta·tive, adjectiveWords nearby facultative
factual,
factualism,
factum,
facture,
facula,
facultative,
facultative anaerobe,
facultative apomict,
facultative hyperopia,
facultative parasite,
faculty
Example sentences from the Web for facultative
British Dictionary definitions for facultative
facultative
/ (ˈfækəltətɪv) /
adjective
empowering but not compelling the doing of an act
philosophy
that may or may not occur
insurance
denoting a form of reinsurance in which the reinsurer has no obligation to accept a particular risk nor the insurer to reinsure, terms and conditions being negotiated for each reinsurance
biology
able to exist under more than one set of environmental conditions
a facultative parasite can exist as a parasite or a saprotroph Compare obligate (def. 4)
of or relating to a faculty
Derived forms of facultative
facultatively, adverbMedical definitions for facultative
facultative
[ făk′əl-tā′tĭv ]
adj.
Capable of functioning under varying environmental conditions. Used of certain organisms, such as bacteria that can live with or without oxygen.
Capable of occurring along various pathways or under various conditions.
Scientific definitions for facultative
facultative
[ făk′əl-tā′tĭv ]
Capable of existing under varying environmental conditions or by assuming various behaviors. Bacteria that are facultative aerobes can live in both aerobic and anaerobic environments. A facultative parasite can live independently of its usual host. Compare obligate.