Definition of malfunction
intransitive verb
: to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate normally
malfunction
nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Examples of malfunction in a Sentence
A software problem is causing the system to malfunction.
Recent Examples of malfunction from the Web
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In that incident, a fridge malfunctioned on the fourth floor and caught ignited much of the building.
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A MDA handout from 2016 lists the previous 13 tests, not including four in which the test missile malfunctioned and interceptors were not launched.
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Two people were taken to the hospital earlier in the day after a piece of equipment malfunctioned and dumped a large amount of a chlorine-type chemical into the water at one of the attractions.
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Apparently, a valve had malfunctioned, allowing oxygen and gas to mix.
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At about 4:21 p.m., a malfunctioning hopper created a dust explosion inside the one-story warehouse, which is located at 4609 Rychlynn Drive and owned by TIC Gums, according to the release.
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Yang and his colleagues envision future drugs or therapies, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, to tweak the activity of the interneurons to prevent malfunctioning pain signaling.
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How would Michael Crichton’s 1973 Jurassic Park precursor about a Western theme park populated by malfunctioning, rebellious robots translate to the world of Peak TV?
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How would Michael Crichton’s 1973 Jurassic Park pre-cursor about a Western theme park populated by malfunctioning, rebellious robots translate to the world of Peak TV?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'malfunction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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.
First Known Use of malfunction
1941
MALFUNCTION Defined for English Language Learners
malfunction
playDefinition of malfunction for English Language Learners
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: to fail to function or work properly
Medical Dictionary
malfunction
playMedical Definition of malfunction
: to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate in the normal or usual manner malfunctioning kidneys
malfunction
nounLearn More about malfunction
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Spanish Central: Translation of malfunction Nglish: Translation of malfunction for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of malfunction for Arabic speakers
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