mal·func·tion
ˌmal-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən 
malfunctioned; malfunctioning; malfunctions
: to function imperfectly or badly : fail to operate normally
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
C. Clairborne RayIn 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
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
Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
The combination of the roof drain and the city line to the road malfunctioned, both contributing to flooding in the school's two 4K classrooms, which are two rooms that are joined together and are divided by a moveable wall.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2025
The Valkyries attributed the clock malfunctions to a power outage that occurred at Chase Center on Sunday morning.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
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Verb
Second, Teslas equipped with FSD autonomous vehicle software will need to navigate those narrow underground tunnels at high speeds without crashing or malfunctioning.
—Charles Singh, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025
The combination of the roof drain and the city line to the road malfunctioned, both contributing to flooding in the school's two 4K classrooms, which are two rooms that are joined together and are divided by a moveable wall.
—Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Noun
Five hours into her Billboard photo shoot, a slight wardrobe malfunction with her black dress is prompting a quick timeout.
—Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2025
The Valkyries attributed the clock malfunctions to a power outage that occurred at Chase Center on Sunday morning.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
Cite this Entry
“Malfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malfunction. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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