faulty

1 of 2

adjective

ˈfȯl-tē 

faultier; faultiest

: marked by fault or defect : imperfect

faultily

ˈfȯl-tə-lē 

adverb

faultiness

ˈfȯl-tē-nəs 

noun

faultiness

2 of 2

noun

fault·​i·​ness -tēnə̇s 

-tin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being faulty

the notable faultiness of a man's reasoning

Synonyms of faulty

Adjective

• defective

Examples of faulty in a Sentence

Adjective

the cause of the plane crash was traced to faulty wiring

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The launch was delayed from mid-September to replace a balky valve in the Dragon spacecraft’s propulsion system, a task that involved cutting into a propellant line inside the ship to swap out a faulty component. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026

Faulty Temperature Sensor Another mechanical failure that can cause long warming times is a faulty temperature sensor. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026

Hopefully, the city of Atlanta and the faulty Macon Drive commuters can learn a lesson. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 27 Sep. 2026

The contractor two days later reported that faulty components had been repaired, but testing by Eversource resulted in further failures, and the building has remained dark since then. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 24 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for faulty

• salty

Kids Definition

faulty

adjective

ˈfȯl-tē 

faultier; faultiest

: having a fault or weakness : imperfect

faultily

-tə-lē 

adverb

faultiness

-tē-nəs 

noun