dysfunction

American  

[dis-fuhngk-shuhn] / dɪsˈfʌŋk ʃən /

noun

dysfunctions plural

1. Medicine/Medical. malfunctioning, as of an organ or structure of the body.

2. any malfunctioning part or element.

   the dysfunctions of the country's economy.

3. Sociology. a consequence of a social practice or behavior pattern that undermines the stability of a social system.

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dysfunction British  

/ dɪsˈfʌŋkʃən /

noun

1. med any disturbance or abnormality in the function of an organ or part

2. (esp of a family) failure to show the characteristics or fulfil the purposes accepted as normal or beneficial

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dysfunctional
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dysfunctions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of dysfunction

First recorded in 1915–20; dys- + function

Explanation

If there's dysfunction, then things aren't working right. High blood pressure is a medical dysfunction, and fighting amongst teammates is a kind of social dysfunction. If you know that function means to work, then you shouldn't be surprised that dysfunction means something isn't working. Blind people have an optical dysfunction. A family that yells all the time and never listens has a communication dysfunction. If your car breaks down, it has some kind of mechanical dysfunction. But if everything is going smoothly? You're dysfunction-free.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dysfunction dysfunctions

It was the U.S Treasury market that blinked first and threatened dysfunction.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

He added he was "sick and tired" of Betsi being "a byword for dysfunction and declining standards".

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

Pediatric obesity specialists say they are seeing high blood pressure, poor blood sugar control and liver dysfunction in children as young as 4.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

Although double-strand breaks are typically associated with mutations, cell dysfunction, and even cell death, the researchers discovered that they are a normal part of brain cortex development.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

For her, tanning had moved from an intense hobby to something more closely resembling a psychological dysfunction.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

That essay prompted a bracing response from Luis and Pieter Garicano, a father-and-son duo who chronicle Europe’s economic dysfunctions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

"There was a very structured 50-year-long reflection on themes that may seem light, but are in fact about our Western world, about the dysfunctions of our Western world," curator Quentin Bajac told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jan. 30, 2026

The results were striking: the compound not only lowered blood sugar and improved insulin responsiveness but also addressed broader metabolic dysfunctions through a previously underexplored biological route.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2025

The agency said he died Tuesday after being treated for age-related illnesses and multiple organ dysfunctions for the past year.

From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024

These living arrangements - more adapted to rustic open spaces than to high rises - led to severe social and psychological dysfunctions.

From After the Rain : how the West lost the East by Vaknin, Samuel