fault

1 of 2

noun

ˈfȯlt 

 in poetry also  ˈfȯt

1

a

: weakness, failing

especially : a moral weakness less serious than a vice

He loves her despite her many faults.

b

: a physical or intellectual imperfection or impairment : defect

a theory with some serious faults

c

: an error especially in service in a net or racket game

She committed too many faults to win the match.

2

: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure

the accident was the driver's fault

3

a

: mistake

The misplacement of "only" is one of the most common writing faults.

b

: misdemeanor

a small boy's faults

4

: a fracture in the crust of a planet (such as the earth) or moon accompanied by a displacement of one side of the fracture with respect to the other usually in a direction parallel to the fracture

Frequent earthquakes have occurred along the San Andreas Fault.

5

obsolete : lack

Illustration of fault

• 1 fault with displaced strata a b c d e
• 2 scarp

fault

2 of 2

verb

faulted; faulting; faults

transitive verb

1

: to find a fault in

easy to praise this book and to fault it

—H. G. Roepke

2

: blame, censure

can't fault them for not coming

3

: to produce a geologic fault in

intransitive verb

1

: to commit a fault : err

2

: to fracture so as to produce a geologic fault

Phrases

at fault

1

: open to blame : responsible

you were really at fault

2

: unable to find the scent and continue chase

to a fault

: to an excessive degree

precise to a fault

Synonyms

Noun

• demerit
• dereliction
• failing
• foible
• frailty
• shortcoming
• sin
• vice
• want
• weakness

Verb

• blame
• censure
• condemn
• criticize
• denounce
• dis [slang]
• diss
• dispraise
• knock
• pan
• reprehend
• slag [chiefly British]

Choose the Right Synonym for fault

fault, failing, frailty, foible, vice mean an imperfection or weakness of character.

fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.

a writer of many virtues and few faults

failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.

being late is a failing of mine

frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.

human frailties

foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.

an eccentric's charming foibles

vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.

compulsive gambling was his vice

Examples of fault in a Sentence

Noun

Lack of courage is his worst fault.

If the book has a fault, it's that it's too long.

It's your own fault you missed that bus.

Through no fault of his own, he won't be able to attend the meeting.

She committed too many faults to win the match.

Verb

The truck driver was faulted for the accident.

Many have faulted her for not acting sooner.

I can't fault him for trying to protect his family.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Make no mistake: Much of the fault for that shortfall belongs to unserious politicians of both parties who have chosen El Paso as a focal point of the immigration debate. —Andrea Adkins-Hutchins, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2024

However, these dikes also extend as sills in shallow angles out from the Contention fault along fold noses in the Bisbee clastic sediments so the full range of mineralization dips vary from 20 to 80 degrees. —Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024

The fault isn’t just with them — in Hollywood, blame and error metastasize — and Bach tracks how Transamerica, UA executives and the media contributed to the production’s failure. —Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024

Earthquakes are caused by a slip on a fault, which is a fracture zone between two blocks of rock. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024

The ancient eastern faults have also stored up a lot of energy over time. —Matt Simon, WIRED, 5 Apr. 2024

The scale has no upper limit, but no fault long enough to generate a magnitude 10 earthquake is known to exist, according to USGS. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

The Justice Department said the technical assistance is not a finding of fault or wrongdoing by the police or coroner’s office. —Jon Schuppe, NBC News, 4 Apr. 2024

As reports surfaced of women being denied treatment for premature ruptures and ectopic pregnancies, Hughes sent a letter to the state medical board, suggesting that physicians were at fault. —Stephania Taladrid, The New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2024

Verb

The report faults governments for imposing restrictions on investment that prevent foreign companies from entering key parts of regional economies, a need to build skills and weak management. —Elaine Kurtenbach, Fortune Asia, 1 Apr. 2024

Since then, the administration has been faulted for not adopting a comprehensive plan to fill severe gaps in community services statewide for troubled youth, develop alternative secure sites to Long Creek and stabilize the prison. —Callie Ferguson Ashley L. Conti, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024

These critics offer a wide range of objections, including faulting the production for failing to cast many MENA actors in speaking roles, as well as leveling objections to story choices that diminish MENA influences. —Sharareh Drury, Variety, 26 Mar. 2024

Some critics faulted them for helping hearsay reach an even larger audience. —Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024

In the House, an unusual combination of Democrats and right-wing Republicans also faulted the bill and attempted unsuccessfully to amend it. —Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 29 Feb. 2024

The Row showed their fall 2024 collection during Paris Fashion Week today, but you wouldn’t be faulted for not knowing about it. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024

Critics also faulted the deal for agreeing to a raise that technically isn’t fully guaranteed. Core to the union’s initial demands were that Cal State negotiators approve a 12% salary hike for all members for the 2023-24 year. —Calmatters, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2024

In a campaign forum last week, Ortiz faulted the media for writing about these issues. —Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English faute, falte, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *fallita, from feminine of fallitus, past participle of Latin fallere to deceive, disappoint

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing fault

• comma fault
• fault line
• double fault
• fault-tolerant
• transform fault
• foot fault
• no-fault
• find fault
• at fault
• to a fault

Kids Definition

fault

1 of 2 noun

ˈfȯlt 

1

a

: a weakness in character : failing

b

: a physical or mental flaw

2

a

: a wrongful act

b

: mistake entry 2 sense 2

3

: responsibility for wrongdoing or failure

it's all my fault

4

: a break in the earth's crust accompanied by a displacement of rock masses parallel to the break

faultless

-ləs

adjective

faultlessly adverb

faultlessness noun

fault

2 of 2 verb

1

: to fracture so as to produce a geologic fault

2

: to find a fault in

Legal Definition

fault

noun

1

: a usually intentional act forbidden by law

also : a usually intentional omission to do something (as to exercise due care) required by law see also negligence compare no-fault, strict liability at liability

Note: Sometimes when fault is used in legal contexts it includes negligence, sometimes it is considered synonymous with negligence, and sometimes it is distinguished from negligence. Fault and negligence are the usual bases for liability in the law of torts.

2

: responsibility for an act or omission that causes damage or injury to another

relative degrees of fault

see also comparative fault

Etymology

Noun

Anglo-French faute lack, failing, ultimately from Latin fallere to deceive, disappoint