variants
also disfunction
as in disease
impaired or abnormal functioning (as of a body part)
She's suffered from minor brain dysfunction since the accident.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 dysfunction
But now even a program with a long history of financial dysfunction has a nice big pot to play with.
—
Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
And that invisibility serves the interests of the platforms that profit from dysfunction.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Those great ’70s movies grew out of the desperation and dysfunction of the studio system at the time, which opened the door to visionaries with something to say (and, sometimes, a ridiculously high budget to say it with).
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
By linking government dysfunction to health care funding and coverage uncertainty, Democrats spotlighted rising medical costs as a symbol of incumbent political failure.
—Robert Pearl, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
And that invisibility serves the interests of the platforms that profit from dysfunction.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 1 Feb. 2026
Those great ’70s movies grew out of the desperation and dysfunction of the studio system at the time, which opened the door to visionaries with something to say (and, sometimes, a ridiculously high budget to say it with).
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 30 Jan. 2026
By linking government dysfunction to health care funding and coverage uncertainty, Democrats spotlighted rising medical costs as a symbol of incumbent political failure.
—Robert Pearl, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dysfunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dysfunction
Noun
-
After whooping cough vaccinations declined in Dallas County over the last year, the preventable disease spiked to the highest numbers of infections officials have seen in over a decade, Huang said.—
Lauren Mascarenhas,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Harm reduction can encompass a range of practices, including handing out free needles to slow the spread of disease, and many local leaders credit some of those efforts with recent drops in fatal overdoses.—
Blake Nelson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jazbi suffers from a severe blood disorder that requires medication, according to the committee.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Benjamin has an intellectual disability caused by a rare genetic disorder called Coffin-Sirus Syndrome, which can come with medical complications such as autism.—
Alyssa Ramos,
Miami Herald,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dysfunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dysfunction. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
