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
Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
During an Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting to ratify a local emergency declaration, McGovern said emergency crews and experts who had worked for days to prevent the overheating of the malfunctioning tank reported lower temperatures were holding on Wednesday.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Lee Billings, Scientific American, 29 May 2026
Early missteps and malfunctions have heightened industry speculation that Weiss, too, won’t last.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
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Verb
The Waffle House waitress said the building’s management was inattentive to a raft of deeper issues, from sewage backups that crept into her bathtub to mold and a malfunctioning air conditioning unit.
—Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 27 May 2026
During an Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting to ratify a local emergency declaration, McGovern said emergency crews and experts who had worked for days to prevent the overheating of the malfunctioning tank reported lower temperatures were holding on Wednesday.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
Noun
Next week’s launch would have been only New Glenn’s fourth, after its third flight on April 19 placed a satellite for the company AST SpaceMobile in an orbit that was lower than planned because of a malfunction of the rocket’s second stage.
—Lee Billings, Scientific American, 29 May 2026
Early missteps and malfunctions have heightened industry speculation that Weiss, too, won’t last.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
Cite this Entry
“Malfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/malfunction. Accessed 31 May. 2026.
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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