as in imperfect
having a fault
promptly took the defective microwave oven back to the store for a replacement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of defective
During a June 2025 evidentiary hearing, the city of Torrington submitted an objection to the application as defective for lack of notice, records show.
—
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
The Terms of Service of Anthropic’s defective altruism will never outweigh the safety, the readiness, or the lives of American troops on the battlefield.
—Tina Nguyen, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2026
Tesla blamed driver for striking victims In seeking a reversal, Tesla said McGee deserved sole blame, his Model S wasn't defective, and the verdict defied common sense.
—Jonathan Stempel, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
But in recent years, plaintiffs' lawyers have employed a novel legal tactic to get around Section 230 by bringing cases against social media companies under product liability laws akin to a manufacturer sued over a defective product.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defective
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2026
The Terms of Service of Anthropic’s defective altruism will never outweigh the safety, the readiness, or the lives of American troops on the battlefield.
—Tina Nguyen, The Verge, 28 Feb. 2026
Tesla blamed driver for striking victims In seeking a reversal, Tesla said McGee deserved sole blame, his Model S wasn't defective, and the verdict defied common sense.
—Jonathan Stempel, USA Today, 20 Feb. 2026
But in recent years, plaintiffs' lawyers have employed a novel legal tactic to get around Section 230 by bringing cases against social media companies under product liability laws akin to a manufacturer sued over a defective product.
—Bobby Allyn, NPR, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for defective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defective
Adjective
-
As the film shows it, an imperfect system.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2026
-
Either way, for them, the work itself — slow, imperfect, occasionally aggravating, and deeply human — is the point.—
Jasna Hodžić,
Big Think,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Nobody paid much attention to weather forecasts because winter days were usually the same and, if different, just worse.—
Bradley Gitz,
Arkansas Online,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Jokic eagerly took advantage of bad transition defense, looking for long outlet passes to Braun and Bruce Brown.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Brother keeps trying to push for more expensive places that are beyond our budget, divide bills in really bizarre unequal ways that are obviously flawed, and seems resistant to coming up with rules around cleaning or chores.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Denver Post,
14 Mar. 2026
-
But Rahal said the plaintiffs’ testing was flawed.—
Natalie Bennett,
NBC news,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The brand will also replace your garment within one year of purchase if there are any defects or faulty manufacturing issues—sure sign of a quality product.—
Harry Spampinato,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
-
In his ruling, Cummings found that in case after case, agents conducting immigration enforcement during Operation Midway Blitz had either not provided justification for their assessment of flight risk or filed faulty field warrants.—
Laura Rodríguez Presa,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The federal government issued a set of regulations that would require airlines, among other things, to assume liability for damaged and delayed wheelchairs and improve training for staff working with passengers facing mobility issues.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
-
And damaged facilities, maybe months.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The most recent blackout was blamed on a broken boiler at a thermoelectric plant that forced the shutdown of Cuba's power grid.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Mar. 2026
-
While clinical care is often compassionate and skilled, the financial structure surrounding that care is deeply broken — Florida hospitals see the most revenue per capita in the country, while Floridians have faced some of the highest rates of surprise billing for hospital stays in the country.—
Linda D. Gadd,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
