de·fec·tive
di-ˈfek-tiv 
1
a
: having a defect or flaw : imperfect in form, structure, or function
replaced a defective light switch
products manufactured with defective materials
defective intestinal absorption
a defective gene
b
dated, now offensive
: having a physical or mental impairment
2
grammar
: lacking one or more of the usual forms of inflection (see inflection sense 2)
Must is a defective verb.
defectively
adverb
defectiveness
noun
1
: something that is imperfect in form, structure, or function
… if we examine 18 items off the production line, we may be interested in the number of defectives we observe in the sample of size 18.—
Lloyd Jaisingh
Lloyd Jaisingh2
dated, now offensive
: a person having a physical or mental impairment
Examples of defective in a Sentence
Adjective
This computer is defective. I want my money back.
The disease is caused by a defective gene.
Recent Examples on the Web
Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2023
Jurors in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, returned the verdict in the years-long civil case involving what the plaintiffs’ lawyers called dangerously defective roofs on Ford pickup trucks, lawyer James Butler Jr. said.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022
Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2021
See all Example Sentences for defective 
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Adjective
In a statement to Digital Trends, LG said the LED TVs, which weigh up to 101.2 pounds with stands, aren't defective on their own.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 13 Jan. 2023
Jurors in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta, returned the verdict in the years-long civil case involving what the plaintiffs’ lawyers called dangerously defective roofs on Ford pickup trucks, lawyer James Butler Jr. said.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2022
Noun
After two replacement phones (one defective, the next meant for another customer and locked) and 15 different Apple customer service representatives, Holland, a publicist in Wilmington, N.C., searched online for Jobs’s email address.
—Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2021
See all Example Sentences for defective
Dictionary Entries Near defective
Cite this Entry
“Defective.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defective. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
defective
adjective
de·fec·tive
di-ˈfek-tiv
: falling below the norm in structure or function
a defective heart valve
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