Definition of malfunction
: to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate normally
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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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The co-owner of a Kansas waterpark is devastated by the decapitation death of a 10-year-old boy on a massive water slide and is intent on finding out exactly why the ride malfunctioned, his attorney said Thursday.
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This implant malfunctioned at the time the urge occurred.
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But for reasons China hasn’t fully explained, its first-ever space station malfunctioned.
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Some suggested cloak-and-dagger scenarios of malfunctioning surveillance equipment or the trial of a covert sonic weapon wielded by a hostile foreign power.
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Several people at the Thursday night meeting were alarmed by the announcement that one of the canisters malfunctioned even before it was buried in the ground.
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Last Saturday, the ship’s oil transfer pump malfunctioned, causing it to lose power and stranding more than 80 people onboard.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began the investigation after air bags malfunctioned in six crashes involving four 2011 Hyundai Sonatas and two others in 2012 and 2013 Kia Fortes.
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In a terrifying video, a ski list at a resort in Gudauri, Georgia malfunctioned and left several people injured after being flung in different directions.
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
Definition of malfunction
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
First Known Use of malfunction
1892
Medical Dictionary
medical Definition of malfunction
: to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate in the normal or usual manner
- malfunctioning kidneys
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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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