facility

Everyday

1. A facility is a building, room or piece of equipment made for a special purpose, like a sports facility. tree →
2. Facilities are things provided for people to use, like toilets, showers, car parks. tree →
3. (formal) Facility is an ability to do something easily: a facility for languages. tree →
4. (euphemism) "The facilities" can mean the toilets. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and signs: school facilities, leisure facilities, "Toilet facilities available". In formal or official texts it is a stiff word for a place or building. Phrases: sports facilities, toilet facilities, the facilities, research facility.

Examples

• The school has new sports facilities. tree →
• Where are the facilities? I need the loo. tree →
• The camp has showers and other facilities. tree →
• The research facility studies plants. tree →
• The park's facilities include a playground and toilets. tree →
• She has a facility for maths and solves problems fast. tree →
• The new swimming facility opens next month. tree →
• The hotel has facilities for wheelchair users. tree →

Note

Plural: facilities. Formal register. "The facilities" as toilets is a polite euphemism. Trap: "facility" with "difficulty" sound alike in ending but mean opposite things (facility = ease).