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

The latter film follows Ivy and Theo, a dysfunctional married couple played by Colman and Cumberbatch, whose picture-perfect life together gets upended when Ivy’s career takes off, but Theo gets fired from his job. —Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025

His devoted but dysfunctional family, including mom Elsa (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and dad Doug (Michael Rappaport), do their best to support him as the family weathers other challenges. —Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Common sense means changing a dysfunctional and overly expensive health care system that benefits insurance companies and lobbyists. —Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025

Her storytelling also focuses on dysfunctional families. —Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 5 Sep. 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