malfunction

American  

[mal-fuhngk-shuhn] / mælˈfʌŋk ʃən /

noun

1. failure to function properly.

   a malfunction of the liver; the malfunction of a rocket.

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verb (used without object)

1. to fail to function properly.

malfunction British  

/ mælˈfʌŋkʃən /

verb

1. (intr) to function imperfectly or irregularly or fail to function

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noun

1. failure to function or defective functioning

Etymology

Origin of malfunction

First recorded in 1925–30; mal- + function

Example Sentences

Flights had to be diverted to neighbouring countries with thousands of travellers hit after the "unprecedented" technical malfunction on January 4, which baffled experts.

From Barron's

The country’s navy has been struggling with funding cuts and outdated, malfunctioning equipment.

From The Wall Street Journal

The “coffee-machine story” was a recounting of the finicky 1970s coin-operated coffee machine in his office that often malfunctioned and dispensed its entire contents from one coin.

From The Wall Street Journal

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, points to malfunctioning mitochondria as a major contributor to the progressive breakdown of cerebellar neurons known as Purkinje cells.

From Science Daily

Figure, a startup with a $39 billion valuation, was sued last month by a former engineer who claims a malfunctioning robot had “carved a one-quarter-inch gash into a steel refrigerator door.”

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• bug
• defect
• fault
• flaw
• glitch
• impairment