I.easiness, ease, facility in doing any thing.
I. In gen. (mostly post-Aug.): “haec in bonis rebus, quod alii ad alia bona sunt aptiores, facilitas nominetur, in malis proclivitas,” inclination, disposition, Cic. Tusc. 4, 12, 28; cf.: “aetatis illius (i. e. puerilis) facilitas,” capability, Quint. 1, 12, 11: “audendi facilitas,” id. 12, 6, 7: “pariendi,” Plin. 21, 24, 95, § 167: “oris,” i. e. easy enunciation, Quint. 10, 7, 26: “corporis,” a tendency to blush, Sen. Ep. 11: “soli,” facility in working, Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 178: “picea tonsili facilitate,” id. 16, 10, 18, § 40: “(smaragdi) ad crassitudinem sui facilitate translucida,” i. e. facility in transmitting the rays of light, id. 37, 5, 16, § 63.—
II. In partic.
A. Of speech, facility or fluency of expression (post-Aug.): “Fabianus disputabat expedite magis quam concitate, ut possis dicere, facilitatem esse illam, non celeritatem,” Sen. Ep. 40: “quae in oratore maxima sunt, ingenium, inventio, vis, facilitas,” Quint. 10, 2, 12; 10, 5, 1; 10, 7, 20; 11, 1, 42; Suet. Gramm. 23 al.; cf. Quint. 10, cap. 7.—
B. (Acc. to facilis, II. A.) Of character.
1. In a good sense, willingness, readiness, good-nature, courteousness, affability (freq. in Cic.; “syn.: lenitas, humanitas): male docet te mea facilitas multa,” Ter. Heaut. 4, 1, 35: “si illius comitatem et facilitatem tuae gravitati severitatique asperseris,” Cic. Mur. 31, 66; cf. id. Lael. 18, 66: “pro tua facilitate et humanitate,” id. Fam. 13, 24, 2: “facilitas in audiendo,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 7, § 21; cf.: “facilitas et lenitudo animi,” id. Off. 1, 25, 88 Orell. N. cr.: “facilitas indulgentiaque,” Suet. Caes. 72: “facilitate par infimis esse,” Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 14, 41: “sermonis,” id. Att. 12, 40, 2: “magis id facilitate quam alia ulla culpa mea contigit,” id. de Or. 2, 4, 15: “actio facilitatem significans,” id. ib. 2, 43, 184.—