flaw
1 Americannoun
-
a feature that mars the perfection of something; defect; fault.
beauty without flaw; the flaws in our plan.
- Synonyms:
- spot, blot, imperfection
-
a defect impairing legal soundness or validity.
-
a crack, break, breach, or rent.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
Also called windflaw. a sudden, usually brief windstorm or gust of wind.
-
a short spell of rough weather.
-
Obsolete. a burst of feeling, fury, etc.
noun
-
an imperfection, defect, or blemish
-
a crack, breach, or rift
-
law an invalidating fault or defect in a document or proceeding
verb
noun
-
-
a sudden short gust of wind; squall
-
a spell of bad, esp windy, weather
-
-
obsolete an outburst of strong feeling
Related Words
See defect.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flaw1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English flage, flaw(e), perhaps from Old Norse flaga “sliver, flake”
Origin of flaw2
First recorded in 1475–85, flaw is from the Old Norse word flaga attack, squall
Explanation
A flaw can be a sign of weakness or defect. If you try to make wings and fly off the roof but wind up crashing in the gutter, there's a flaw in your plan. In the early 14th century, when the noun flaw was first recorded, it referred to a snowflake or spark of fire. That sense is now obsolete, and now we use flaw to describe shortcomings in either character or object. We all have flaws. It can also describe an intentional mark of imperfection. “You see,” said the dancer Martha Graham, “when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out.”
Vocabulary lists containing flaw
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
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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 Virginia Supreme Court decision pointed to a procedural flaw which turned on the definition of an “election.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
It was essentially a copy of bitcoin, but was intended to fix what its founders saw as a privacy flaw.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
Or maybe just one flaw, but that could be all that's needed.
From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026
Regardless of the reason, data showing that it happens a majority of the time points out a systemic flaw.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
“I have friends on the bejeweling committee. The boy is smart, but too quick to anger. It’s a fatal flaw that cannot be tolerated.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
