defective
Americanadjective
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Sometimes defected having a defect or flaw; faulty; imperfect.
a defective machine.
- Synonyms:
- deficient, incomplete
-
Psychology. characterized by subnormal intelligence or behavior.
-
Grammar. (of an inflected word or its inflection) lacking one or more of the inflected forms proper to most words of the same class in the language, as English must, which occurs only in the present tense.
noun
adjective
-
having a defect or flaw; imperfect; faulty
-
(of a person) below the usual standard or level, esp in intelligence
-
grammar (of a word) lacking the full range of inflections characteristic of its form class, as for example must, which has no past tense
Other Word Forms
- defectively adverb
- defectiveness noun
- nondefective adjective
- nondefectively adverb
- nondefectiveness noun
- predefective adjective
- undefective adjective
- undefectively adverb
- undefectiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of defective
First recorded in 1375–1425; from Late Latin dēfectīvus, equivalent to dēfectus ( defect ) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English defectif, from Middle French, from Late Latin, as above
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Most alarmingly, courts have wielded the statute to crush lawsuits that accuse social media companies of negligently providing a defective product.
From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026
However, this case argues that the firms are responsible for defective products, with business models designed to hold people's attention and to promote content that can harm their mental health.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
But do feel free to give the company a reasonable suggestion of what you consider proper restitution — say, a full replacement for a defective product.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026
In excerpted quotes from Schwank’s prepared testimony shared with The Times, he calls the training program “deficient, defective and broken.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
She heard a whooshing, like the sound of a defective heart — someone flushing the toilet.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
