defective

[dih-fek-tiv]

adjective

1. Sometimes defected having a defect or flaw; faulty; imperfect.

   a defective machine.

   Synonyms: deficient, incomplete
   Antonyms: complete, perfect

2. Psychology.,  characterized by subnormal intelligence or behavior.

3. 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

1. a defective person or thing.

defective

/ dɪˈfɛktɪv /

adjective

1. having a defect or flaw; imperfect; faulty

2. (of a person) below the usual standard or level, esp in intelligence

3. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of defective¹

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

“Your father can track my movements. If he sees me trying to escape, he will think I am defective, and he will send me away to be destroyed.”

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The retron-based system can swap out long sections of defective DNA for healthy ones.

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Flies with the defective gene exhibited behaviors consistent with inner ear dysfunction, such as impaired hearing and balance issues.

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Many dynasty trusts are set up to be “intentionally defective grantor trusts.”

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Portugal's Air and Rail Accident Investigations Bureau said an underground cable - which acted as a counterweight between two carriages and broke, prompting the crash - was defective and had never been certified for passenger transportation.

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Related Words

• abnormal 
• damaged www.thesaurus.com
• deficient 
• faulty 
• flawed 
• inadequate 
• insufficient 
• unhealthy 
• unsound