dysfunctional

adjective

dys·​func·​tion·​al (ˌ)dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-sh(ə-)nəl 

: characterized by or exhibiting dysfunction: such as

a

: not functioning properly : marked by impaired or abnormal functioning

With 180,000 employees and a $43 billion budget, the department is a collage of 22 distinct government agencies drawn from different corners of the federal organization chart and glued together into a single, largely dysfunctional unit.

—Paul C. Light

This form of anemia develops because the bone marrow is not producing new cells rapidly enough to replace old cells that have become destroyed or otherwise dysfunctional.

—Tom Ewing

This led to a dysfunctional credit market that in important respects soon turned non-functional.

—Warren E. Buffett

b

: characterized by abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior or interaction

dysfunctional relationships

As with any dysfunctional family, it may take an outsider to get a clear picture of the situation.

—Chris Mooney

Did you know?

Dysfunctional and dysfunction have been used for almost a hundred years, often in medical writing ("brain dysfunction", "a dysfunctional liver") but also by social scientists ("a dysfunctional city council", "diplomatic dysfunction"). But they only really entered the general vocabulary in the 1980s, when therapists and talk-show hosts began talking about dysfunctional families. The signs of family dysfunction turned out to be numerous, and it soon began to seem as if pretty much all our families could be called dysfunctional.

Examples of dysfunctional in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And that’s a learning experience anyone can benefit from, no matter how dysfunctional or unbearable your household may be. —Jenna Ryu, SELF, 16 Dec. 2025

At the same time, she becomes threatened by a minor scandal involving her dopey husband (Jack Lowden), all while dealing with her dysfunctional family, including the serial-cheater father (Woody Harrelson) who reenters her life and a brother (Spike Fearn) who has become something of a hermit. —Esther Zuckerman, Time, 12 Dec. 2025

The reason people go back to it is about the brilliance of its filmmaking but also its rather disturbing picture of a highly dysfunctional relationship, of romantic obsession. —Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Dec. 2025

The original sitcom — which revolved around the dysfunctional Wilkerson family — ran for seven seasons from 2000 to 2006. —Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

dysfunction + -al entry 1, after functional

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dysfunctional

• bifunctional
• nonfunctional
• functional
• junctional