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
Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 3 Feb. 2026
The move comes after a long shutdown at Ramos’ other property, Cebada Rooftop in Coral Gables, which was closed from September 2025 until January of 2026 due to a malfunctioning elevator.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Anna Schecter, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
And just like transplantation, LVADs come with their own set of serious risks, including blood clots, right heart failure, device malfunctions, bleeding and infection, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
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Verb
And later a valve on the Orion capsule malfunctioned as engineers also attempted to troubleshoot several dropouts of ground teams’ audio communications channels.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 3 Feb. 2026
The move comes after a long shutdown at Ramos’ other property, Cebada Rooftop in Coral Gables, which was closed from September 2025 until January of 2026 due to a malfunctioning elevator.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
But the risks posed by drones are real, whether a hobbyist drone malfunctions and falls into the stands or a bad actor uses a drone to drop something into the stadium.
—Anna Schecter, CBS News, 7 Feb. 2026
And just like transplantation, LVADs come with their own set of serious risks, including blood clots, right heart failure, device malfunctions, bleeding and infection, according to the Mayo Clinic.
—Miami Herald, 4 Feb. 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 11 Feb. 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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