fail-soft

[feyl-sawft, -soft]

adjective

1. pertaining to or noting facilities built into a system, as in an automobile or a computer, for continuing operations on an interim basis and probably with reduced efficiency, if parts of the system fail.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fail-soft¹

Play on fail-safe

Example Sentences

The report says that at one point, the crush of users sent the system into a “fail-soft” mode and all connections between responding agencies were lost.

From Washington Times