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
Despite knowing the product was defective and replicating customers’ explosions in tests, Sunbeam and its parent company, Newell, told the Consumer Product Safety Commission that the product didn’t need to be recalled and that user error was causing the issue.
—
Sponsored Content, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025
If either the hypothalamus or pituitary gland is damaged or defective, estrogen and testosterone levels will drop.
—James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2025
The toddlers were treated using gene therapy, through which patients are given a harmless virus containing healthy versions of a defective gene in order to remedy the problem.
—David Prosser, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Put side by side with the Chrome extension, MacKeeper’s Safari extension looks defective.
—PCMAG, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defective
Sponsored Content, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025
If either the hypothalamus or pituitary gland is damaged or defective, estrogen and testosterone levels will drop.
—James Myhre & Dennis Sifris, Md, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2025
The toddlers were treated using gene therapy, through which patients are given a harmless virus containing healthy versions of a defective gene in order to remedy the problem.
—David Prosser, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
Put side by side with the Chrome extension, MacKeeper’s Safari extension looks defective.
—PCMAG, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for defective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for defective
Adjective
-
Plus, this change can’t come soon enough, with a population of aging Baby Boomers and higher life expectancies adding even more pressure to an imperfect system.—
Don Murray,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Such recent works are, in other words, memoirs of ambivalence, in which imperfect narrators don’t overcome impairment but learn to coexist with it, however uneasily.—
Sophia Stewart,
The Atlantic,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Not bad for a company built on the back of a $40 plastic-cased watch!—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Drinking rates fell across every demographic and young people were most likely to believe drinking is bad for your health.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This means knowing that AI has a purpose and a set of rules, and that it can be biased or flawed.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Clear the Air in Havering, a local campaign organization, took it to court, arguing its decision relied on flawed air pollution data and overlooked the spikes seen on fire days.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
If her memory is faulty, she should be evaluated by her doctor.—
Abigail Van Buren,
Boston Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Revenue Lost To Delays And Recalls Absent or faulty SDS documentation delays shipments and triggers product pullbacks.—
Ihor Hamal,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
There is a broken down vehicle on I-35 between Antioch Road/Exit 230 and I-635/Exit 231.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Signs of hair breakage include split ends, flyaways, broken strands, dryness, and hair that stops growing at a certain length.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
21 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share