faulty

adjective

ˈfȯl-tē 

faultier; faultiest

: marked by fault or defect : imperfect

faultily

ˈfȯl-tə-lē 

adverb

faultiness

ˈfȯl-tē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of faulty

• defective

Examples of faulty in a Sentence

the cause of the plane crash was traced to faulty wiring

Recent Examples on the Web

Officials would not go into detail on what caused the faulty result, but contamination is a common source of false positives. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

For adults, a faulty diagnosis can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, O’Sullivan said. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 20 July 2026

Instead, these plans primarily cover problems caused by manufacturer defects, faulty parts or mechanical breakdowns. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 20 July 2026

Everyone’s waiting on the old GOAT Last night was pretty light game-wise, thanks to the MLB All-Star break, the World Cup progression and … a faulty WNBA plane. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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