dysfunction

noun

dys·​func·​tion (ˌ)dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən 

variants or less commonly disfunction

1

: impaired or abnormal functioning

gastrointestinal dysfunction

2

: abnormal or unhealthy interpersonal behavior or interaction within a group

family dysfunction

Examples of dysfunction in a Sentence

The disease causes gastrointestinal dysfunctions.

Recent Examples on the Web

Both have been linked to vascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, and premature death. — Jakob Roze, Health, 23 July 2026

Skoog described the exchange as an example of the dysfunction that has mired progress in the Capitol. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026

For liver health, antioxidants can reduce chronic damage that could lead to liver dysfunction, improving the liver’s overall ability to remove toxins. — Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 22 July 2026

No one is better versed in, say, the dysfunctions of the writer-actress relationship than Valerie, who, in previous seasons, suffered endlessly at the hands of a misogynistic showrunner. — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

dys- + function entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1916, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dysfunction

• erectile dysfunction
• minimal brain dysfunction

Rhymes for dysfunction

• adjunction
• compunction
• conjunction
• disjunction
• injunction
• malfunction
• eigenfunction
• multifunction
• function
• junction
• unction
• heterojunction

Kids Definition

dysfunction

noun

dys·​func·​tion dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən 

: impaired or abnormal functioning

liver dysfunction

dysfunctional

-shnəl 

-shən-ᵊl

adjective

Medical Definition

dysfunction

noun

dys·​func·​tion

variants also disfunction

(ˈ)dis-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən 

: impaired or abnormal functioning (as of an organ of the body)

dysfunctional

-shnəl, -shən-ᵊl 

adjective

dysfunctioning

-shə-niŋ 

noun