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

These are the downsides of a dysfunctional county animal control program which is what Riverside County’s Department of Animal Services (RCDAS) is accused of being. —Marc Joffe, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2025

Set in Mumbai, the drama follows 21-year-old Anvita, eldest of six siblings, who anchors her dysfunctional family. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025

The news of the dysfunctional unit prompted some criminal defendants to argue the validity of the evidence in their cases. —Elena Santa Cruz, AZCentral.com, 31 July 2025

For Simpsons creator Matt Groening, the initial appeal of the comically dysfunctional yet loving brood was rooted in Generation X fans’ readiness to break from conservative family sitcom orthodoxy. —Keith Murphy, Time, 24 July 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