faulty
Americanadjective
adjective
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defective or imperfect
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archaic culpable
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of faulty
First recorded in 1300–50, faulty is from the Middle English word fauty. See fault, -y 1
Explanation
Something that's faulty is full of mistakes — it's wrong. Faulty logic often leads people to make terrible decisions, since they're based on an incorrect way of thinking. A faulty explanation is based on errors, and a faulty machine doesn't work the way it's supposed to. If your chocolate chip cookies keep coming out burned, your stove may be faulty — or you may be baking them too long. If your car's brakes are faulty, it won't stop as quickly as it should, and if your furnace is faulty, it will be a long, cold winter. Faulty and fail share a common Latin root word.
Vocabulary lists containing faulty
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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Drama
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Way Off: Synonyms for "Wrong"
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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.
The suffering from this faulty reasoning has already begun, as Venezuela, another TPS country, reels from a devastating earthquake the same day as the court’s opinion.
From Slate • Jun. 25, 2026
She also claimed that the coroner found Andrea's death was because of an overheated bath caused by a faulty boiler - something not mentioned in the report.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
Whether the plumber directly caused the problem, failed to identify an underlying issue, or repaired one faulty component only for another to reveal itself, the result is the same: the cistern does not function properly.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Project opponents also filed multiple lawsuits seeking to kill the project, alleging faulty environmental reviews and improper city approval.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
If gratitude and esteem are good foundations of affection, Elizabeth’s change of sentiment will be neither improbable nor faulty.
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
