defective
C1Formal/Technical/Everyday (in specific contexts like retail/complaints)
Definition
Meaning
Having a flaw, imperfection, or malfunction; not working or made correctly.
1. (Law) Lacking some legal requirement, such as proper form or substance, making it invalid or voidable. 2. (Grammar) Describing a word (like certain modal verbs) that does not have a full set of inflected forms. 3. (Psychology/Philosophy) Fundamentally flawed in character or function.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often implies a failure to meet a standard or specification. Stronger and more objective than 'faulty' in technical contexts; can carry a moral/legal judgment in others.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. In legal contexts, 'defective' is standard in both. In consumer contexts, 'faulty' is more common in UK everyday speech, while 'defective' is standard in US product labelling and legal terms.
Connotations
In both, implies a professional/technical judgment. In UK, can sound slightly more formal or legalistic in casual conversation.
Frequency
More frequent in American English, particularly in product-related and legal discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
BE + defectiveverb + OBJ + as defective (declare, label, find)defective + in + NOUN (defective in design)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “The wheel of fortune is forever defective. (proverbial, rare)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The entire batch was recalled due to defective components.
Academic
The study's methodology was deemed defective by peer reviewers.
Everyday
My phone charger is defective; it only works at a certain angle.
Technical
The enzyme is defective due to a point mutation at codon 506.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - 'defective' is not used as a verb.
American English
- N/A - 'defective' is not used as a verb.
adverb
British English
- N/A - 'defectively' exists but is very rare.
- The system was designed defectively. (formal/legal)
American English
- N/A - 'defectively' exists but is very rare.
- The product was manufactured defectively. (legal)
adjective
British English
- The logic board was defective from the factory.
- They refused to refund for goods not deemed defective.
American English
- The vehicle had a defective airbag recall.
- The contract was ruled defective by the court.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The toy was defective, so the shop gave me a new one.
- My kettle is defective; it doesn't boil water.
- If you receive a defective item, you should contact customer service immediately.
- The building's fire alarm system was found to be defective.
- The investigation concluded that the aircraft's sensor was defective, leading to the crash.
- His argument was logically defective and failed to convince the panel.
- The plasmid carried a genetically defective marker gene for selection purposes.
- The writ was held to be defective for lack of particularity.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
DEFECTive: Imagine a product with a noticeable DEFECT (a flaw). It's 'ive' (adjective-forming) so it's 'full of defects'.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUALITY IS STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY / MORALITY IS WHOLENESS (e.g., 'a defective character' implies a broken or incomplete moral structure).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation from Russian 'дефектный' in all contexts; for 'неисправный', 'faulty' or 'broken' is often more natural. 'Дефективный' has a strong, often offensive connotation regarding people; English 'defective' is primarily for objects/systems.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'defect' (noun) as an adjective: 'This is a defect product.' (Incorrect) -> 'defective product'. Confusing with 'deficient' (lacking something) vs. 'defective' (having a flaw).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'defective' LEAST likely to be used naturally?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Defective' often implies an inherent flaw present from the point of origin/manufacture, making the item substandard or unfit for purpose. 'Faulty' is broader and can describe something that has developed a fault through use or wear. In legal/technical writing, 'defective' is preferred.
It is highly offensive and archaic to describe a person directly as 'defective'. It was used in eugenics discourse. Modern usage is almost exclusively for objects, systems, processes, or abstract concepts (e.g., 'defective reasoning').
No. The adjective 'defective' is related to the noun 'defect' (a flaw). The verb 'defect' (pronounced /dɪˈfɛkt/) means to desert a cause or country. They are etymologically related but have distinct meanings and uses.
In linguistics, a 'defective verb' or paradigm lacks a full set of conjugations. For example, the English modal verbs (can, must, shall) are defective as they have no infinitive, no -s form in the 3rd person singular, and no participles.
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