defective

1 of 2

adjective

de·​fec·​tive di-ˈfek-tiv 

1

a

: having a defect or flaw : imperfect in form, structure, or function

replaced a defective light switch

products manufactured with defective materials

defective intestinal absorption

a defective gene

b

dated, now offensive : having a physical or mental impairment

2

grammar : lacking one or more of the usual forms of inflection (see inflection sense 2)

Must is a defective verb.

defectively adverb

defectiveness noun

defective

2 of 2

noun

1

: something that is imperfect in form, structure, or function

… if we examine 18 items off the production line, we may be interested in the number of defectives we observe in the sample of size 18.

—Lloyd Jaisingh

2

dated, now offensive : a person having a physical or mental impairment

Synonyms

Adjective

• amiss
• bad
• faulty
• flawed
• imperfect

Examples of defective in a Sentence

Adjective

This computer is defective. I want my money back.

The disease is caused by a defective gene.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In a statement to Digital Trends, LG said the LED TVs, which weigh up to 101.2 pounds with stands, aren't defective on their own. —Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2023

Jurors in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, returned the verdict in the years-long civil case involving what the plaintiffs’ lawyers called dangerously defective roofs on Ford pickup trucks, lawyer James Butler Jr. said. —Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022

Noun

After two replacement phones (one defective, the next meant for another customer and locked) and 15 different Apple customer service representatives, Holland, a publicist in Wilmington, N.C., searched online for Jobs’s email address. —Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English defectif, defectyve "lacking, faulty, of poor quality," borrowed from Anglo-French defectif, borrowed from Late Latin dēfectīvus "lacking an inflectional form, imperfect, faulty," from Latin dēfectus, past participle of dēficere "to be lacking, run short, fail" + -īvus -ive — more at deficient

Noun

derivative of defective entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

defective

adjective

de·​fec·​tive

di-ˈfek-tiv

: lacking something essential : faulty

defective brakes

defectively adverb

defectiveness noun

Medical Definition

defective

adjective

de·​fec·​tive di-ˈfek-tiv 

: falling below the norm in structure or function

a defective heart valve

defectiveness

-nəs 

noun