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
-
Because humans are imperfect, and that's what makes art, and that's what makes the human experience.—
Elizabeth Stanton , Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
-
But the upside is, while imperfect, these studies do offer real-world data from a substantial number of people that lends credence to diet as a potential endo-fighting factor.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump intends to completely reimagine U.S. trade relations with our closest partners and fiercest rivals, for better or worse.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
-
For too long, environmentalism was focused on stopping bad things, such as pollution.—
Anna Broughel,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
No matter how sophisticated the technology is, if the input is flawed, the insight will be too.—
Eric Mosley,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
-
But that same process is highly flawed and produces some troubled players.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Even though the city has condemned the local landmark as unsafe, a group of former parishioners contends that was done only because the Archdiocese of Hartford submitted a faulty engineering report.—
Don Stacom,
Hartford Courant,
29 Apr. 2025
-
So gone will be any operational flexibility to recover from a simple or routine equipment or infrastructure problem, from a stalled train to a broken rail to a faulty signal.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Conservatives quickly lambasted Bondi for broken promises.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
-
In addition to his hands, Smith has an extensive injury history, including a broken fibula, a torn meniscus, a fractured wrist and a high-ankle sprain.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/defective. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share