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
Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
Ten of those missions successfully landed on the hot, barren planet, but the rocket carrying Kosmos 482 malfunctioned.
—David Ewalt, NBC news, 10 May 2025
Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025
Ford Motor is recalling nearly 1.1 million Ford and Lincoln vehicles because of a software problem that could cause the rearview camera image to malfunction when the car is in reverse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for malfunction
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Verb
Building failures, from malfunctioning boilers and coolers to plumbing and roof leaks, are increasingly occurring, some of them during high-profile medical and tech conventions, the most recent just a couple of months ago.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2025
Ten of those missions successfully landed on the hot, barren planet, but the rocket carrying Kosmos 482 malfunctioned.
—David Ewalt, NBC news, 10 May 2025
Noun
On multiple occasions, malfunctions with a grinder pump on the prison property caused large pieces of debris including bed sheets and rags to be released into the city’s sewer system, leading to major downstream clogs and requiring costly emergency repairs, the complaint claims.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2025
Ford Motor is recalling nearly 1.1 million Ford and Lincoln vehicles because of a software problem that could cause the rearview camera image to malfunction when the car is in reverse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.
—Alain Sherter, CBS News, 28 May 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 7 Jun. 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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