faulty

[fawl-tee]

adjective

faultier, faultiest 

1. having faults or defects; imperfect.

faulty

/ ˈfɔːltɪ /

adjective

1. defective or imperfect

2. archaic,  culpable

Other Word Forms

• faultily adverb
• faultiness noun
• nonfaulty adjective
• unfaulty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of faulty¹

First recorded in 1300–50, faulty is from the Middle English word fauty. See fault, -y ¹

Example Sentences

If that process fails, the faulty proteins are targeted for breakdown into amino acids so they can be recycled.

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The bipartisan Robb-Silberman commission later praised his probing approach and criticized the CIA’s faulty reporting on Iraq.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

FirstPort says the problem was caused by faulty cavity wall insulation installed by British Gas 11 years ago.

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For example, when it emerged that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth discussed classified U.S. military operations using the encrypted messaging application Signal, the faulty logic of the administration was on full display.

Read more on Salon

Authorities in Mexico said on Saturday that a faulty electric transformer may have caused an explosion that killed at least 23 people in a supermarket.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• broken 
• cracked 
• damaged www.thesaurus.com
• defective 
• deficient 
• erroneous 
• false 
• flawed 
• imprecise 
• inaccurate 
• inadequate 
• incomplete 
• insufficient 
• invalid 
• leaky 
• malfunctioning www.thesaurus.com
• unreliable