# defective

/dɪˈfɛktɪv/ (US) · /dɪfˈɛktɪv/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/defective
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. broken or faulty

adjective · CEFR B2

having a fault or a problem that stops something from working correctly.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. missing grammatical forms

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical · Academic

describing a word that does not have all the usual forms, like a verb that has no past tense.

For teachers: 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'.

### 3. a faulty item

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

an object that has a flaw or does not work as it should.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. incomplete writing system

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical · Academic

describing a way of writing that does not show all the sounds of a language.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The store replaced my defective phone with a new one.
- The manufacturer issued a massive recall after discovering a defective batch of batteries that could overheat.
- While the exterior of the building appeared sound, a structural engineer discovered defective support beams that compromised the safety of the entire upper floor.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.