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malfunction

verb

  1. faulty functioning
L311711 on Wikidata ↗

noun

  1. failure of a parachuting device
  2. faulty functioning
L323571 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/

noun

Etymology: From mal- (“bad, incorrect”) + function.

  1. Faulty functioning.

    This weekend, as videos of robotaxi malfunctions began appearing on social media, opponents say they are seeing their fears realized.

    A former OceanGate scientific director said the Titan submersible suffered a malfunction six days before imploding in June 2023, killing all five people on board.

  2. Failure to function.

verb

Etymology: From mal- (“bad, incorrect”) + function.

  1. To function improperly.

    She told him the machine was poorly built, but they both knew that she was the one who had malfunctioned.

    Due to a communications error, according to gaming officials, the slot machine malfunctioned and didn’t notify Taylor or casino personnel that he was a winner.

  2. To fail to function.