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
Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Initial investigations by both Universal and state regulators indicate the ride did not malfunction.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2025
Still, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday that the White House will investigate whether the malfunctions happened on purpose.
—Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Kevin’s family, said that while the ride might not have malfunctioned, there still may have been safety issues with the ride.
—Abigail Adams, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Initial investigations by both Universal and state regulators indicate the ride did not malfunction.
—Eve Chen, USA Today, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
When the president traveled to New York to address the United Nations he was beset by a series of embarrassing technical malfunctions.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 25 Sep. 2025
Still, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Tuesday that the White House will investigate whether the malfunctions happened on purpose.
—Lindsay Kimble, PEOPLE, 24 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 29 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share