definitions

malfunction

[ mal-fuhngk-shuh n ]
/ mælˈfʌŋk ʃən /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR malfunction ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

failure to function properly: a malfunction of the liver; the malfunction of a rocket.

verb (used without object)

to fail to function properly.

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RELATED WORDS

swollen, clogged, blocked, wedged, damaged, erroneous, inaccurate, defective, inadequate, deficient, invalid, broken, insufficient, unreliable, cracked, leaky, incomplete, false, flawed, imprecise

Nearby words

malevolent, malevolently, malfeasance, malformation, malformed, malfunction, malgaigne's luxation, malgré lui, malherbe, malherbe's calcifying epithelioma, malherbe, françois de

Origin of malfunction

First recorded in 1925–30; mal- + function
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for malfunctioning

British Dictionary definitions for malfunctioning

malfunction

/ (mælˈfʌŋkʃən) /

verb

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

noun

failure to function or defective functioning
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for malfunctioning

malfunction

[ măl-fŭngk′shən ]

v.

To fail to function.
To function improperly.

n.

Failure to function.
Faulty or abnormal functioning.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.