failure

American  

[feyl-yer] / ˈfeɪl yər /

noun

1. an act or instance of failing fail or proving unsuccessful; lack of success.

   His effort ended in failure.

   The campaign was a failure.

2. nonperformance of something due, required, or expected.

   a failure to do what one has promised;

   a failure to appear.

3. a subnormal quantity or quality; an insufficiency.

   the failure of crops.

4. deterioration or decay, especially of vigor, strength, etc..

   The failure of her health made retirement necessary.

5. a condition of being bankrupt by reason of insolvency.

6. a becoming insolvent or bankrupt.

   the failure of a bank.

7. a person or thing that proves unsuccessful.

   He is a failure in his career.

   The cake is a failure.

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failure British  

/ ˈfeɪljə /

noun

1. the act or an instance of failing

2. a person or thing that is unsuccessful or disappointing

   the evening was a failure

3. nonperformance of something required or expected

   failure to attend will be punished

4. cessation of normal operation; breakdown

   a power failure

5. an insufficiency or shortage

   a crop failure

6. a decline or loss, as in health or strength

7. the fact of not reaching the required standard in an examination, test, course, etc

8. the act or process of becoming bankrupt or the state of being bankrupt

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Other Word Forms

• nonfailure noun

Etymology

Origin of failure

First recorded in 1635–45; fail + -ure; replacing failer “a fault, default,” from Anglo-French (noun use of infinitive), for Old French faillir

Example Sentences

And yet, the show’s scale and the fame of the people in it may insulate it from outright failure.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Individuals with a history of end-stage renal disease or congestive heart failure were excluded from the analysis.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

That has been exacerbated, she said, by homeowners’ failure to comply with terms of the original permit, which required them to provide sand to cover the geotubes—sand that would naturally erode and nourish other beaches.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Al Zayani, speaking on behalf of the oil-exporting Gulf countries, said the failure to pass the resolution "sends the wrong signal to the world."

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

The failure of the Nivelle offensive was so demoralizing, it almost destroyed the fighting spirit of the French army.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• bankruptcy
• breakdown
• collapse
• decline
• defeat
• deficiency
• deterioration
• failing
• loss
• misstep