malfunction

1 of 2

verb

mal·​func·​tion ˌmal-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən 

malfunctioned; malfunctioning; malfunctions

intransitive verb

: to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate normally

malfunction

2 of 2

noun

plural malfunctions

: a failure to operate or function in the normal or correct manner : the action or an instance of malfunctioning

a hardware/equipment malfunction

Once thought to be a disease itself dropsy is now known to be a sign of several kinds of body malfunction, especially congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

—C. Clairborne Ray

In schizophrenia this filtering system malfunctions or short-circuits. This malfunction causes people to misevaluate what they see, hear, and experience in their environment.

—Richard Crino

Did you know?

A malfunctioning switch might keep us from turning on a light. A malfunctioning heart valve might require replacement with an artificial valve, and if your immune system malfunctions it may start to attack healthy cells. And a malfunction in a voting machine could result in hundreds of votes being miscounted.

Examples of malfunction in a Sentence

Verb

A software problem is causing the system to malfunction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

At polling locations across Florida's Broward County, voting was delayed for 20 minutes after polls opened because a new voting system safety feature malfunctioned. — Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026

Unfortunately, the device malfunctioned while en route to the observatory, forcing mission engineers to abandon the attempt and leave Swift to its fate. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2026

Noun

That malfunction saved countless lives, including those of my own family. — Raja Krishnamoorthi, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Spain’s transport minister said a computer malfunction disabled a safety system before a central command center ordered one train to move without speed restrictions. — Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1941, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for malfunction

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

Kids Definition

malfunction

verb

mal·​func·​tion (ˈ)mal-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən 

: to fail to function or operate properly

malfunction noun

Medical Definition

malfunction

intransitive verb

mal·​func·​tion (ˈ)mal-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən 

: to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate in the normal or usual manner

malfunctioning kidneys

malfunction noun