Word
defective
Phoneticsde·fec·tive, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈfɛktɪv/
UK/dɪfˈɛktɪv/
Definitions
01broken or faulty
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. having a fault or a problem that stops something from working correctly.
adj. having one or more flaws; imperfect in form, structure, or function.
“I had to return the toaster because it was defective and wouldn't heat up.”
“The company issued a massive recall after discovering that a defective valve in the engine could lead to sudden power loss.”
Antonyms
02missing grammatical forms
C1 · Advanced Science Technical · Academic
adj. describing a word that does not have all the usual forms, like a verb that has no past tense.
adj. lacking a full paradigm of inflected forms; for example, a verb that cannot be conjugated in all tenses or persons.
“The verb 'must' is defective because it does not have a past tense form.”
“Modal verbs in English are considered defective since they lack infinitive forms and do not take the third-person singular suffix.”
Usage
In linguistics, this adjective typically modifies nouns like 'verb', 'noun', or 'paradigm'.
Synonyms
03a faulty item
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Formal · Technical
n. an object that has a flaw or does not work as it should.
n. a person or thing categorized as having a defect; in modern usage, this often refers to manufactured goods in a quality control context.
“The factory worker removed the defectives from the assembly line before they were packed.”
“The inspector was tasked with identifying any defectives in the batch of precision lenses before they were shipped to the laboratory.”
04incomplete writing system
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical · Academic
adj. describing a way of writing that does not show all the sounds of a language.
adj. referring to a script or spelling system that lacks the means to represent all phonemic distinctions, such as vowels.
“Some ancient scripts used a defective spelling system that didn't include vowels.”
“The scholar noted that the defective orthography of the inscription made it difficult to determine the exact pronunciation of the royal names.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“I've passed the car though."
The seatbelts on the car had not ever been replaced and were defective.” “After Elliott started to raise concerns about defective buildings, he told the inquiry Nassif went “nuts”.” “This is possible because the defective ones will often float in the water, since the coffee beans haven’t properly developed.” Etymology
From Middle English defectif, defective, from Old French defectif, from Late Latin dēfectīvus.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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