defect

1 of 2

noun

1
: an imperfection or abnormality that impairs quality, function, or utility : shortcoming, flaw
carefully inspect a tire for defects
examined the porcelain for defects
a moral defect in his nature
neural tube defects
defects of metabolism
2
chemistry : an imperfection (such as a vacancy or an unlike atom) in a crystal lattice (see lattice sense 2)

defect

2 of 2

verb

de·​fect di-ˈfekt How to pronounce defect (audio)
defected; defecting; defects

intransitive verb

1
: to forsake one cause, party, or nation for another often because of a change in ideology
a former KGB agent who defected to America
2
: to leave one situation (such as a job) often to go over to a rival
the reporter defected to another network
defector noun

Examples of defect in a Sentence

Noun They examine their products for defects. She was born with a heart defect. Vanity and pride were his two worst character defects. Verb The Russian scholar defected in 1979. She defected from the conservative party. He defected to the West before the war began. The reporter defected to another TV network.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
An autopsy confirmed his condition occurred naturally, not because of a genetic defect, as can be the case with renal agenesis. Jessica Van Egeren, Journal Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2024 Wanting to be asked to model and wanting to model are each distinct personality defects. Nicolaia Rips, Vogue, 7 Mar. 2024 There’s also a $9 return fee for glasses that don’t have a defect. Kelsey Kunik, Verywell Health, 6 Mar. 2024 In people with eczema, there is often a defect in the skin barrier function, making the skin more susceptible to irritants and allergens. Amanda Gardner, Health, 4 Mar. 2024 Unit owners as a group — or through the board, if it is no longer controlled by the sponsor — should get an engineering report on the defects and who may be responsible. Jill Terreri Ramos, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Note that even if such a risk pool existed, that alone would not overcome the other glaring defects seen in so many of these microcaptive opinion, including here, such as premium pricing pulled out of a fluffy cloud and the near-total lack of anything hinting at an arm's length transaction. Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 Many of the reports mentioned cracks or slits on a rubber tip used to cover da Vinci’s metal instruments, the suit said, adding that the defects allowed electricity to escape without surgeons’ knowledge. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 9 Feb. 2024 Toyota is recalling roughly 381,000 Tacoma trucks in the U.S. because of a potential rear-axle shaft defect that could cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, the car maker said in a notice posted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA). Anne Marie Lee, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2024
Verb
Accounts of those who recently surrendered or defected shed light on the lengths to which the military is going to maintain control. Rebecca Tan, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Meanwhile, Cuba historically has not allowed Cuban players who defected on their national team rosters. Alanis Thames, USA TODAY, 18 Jan. 2024 Despite the formation of an alliance between the Big Ten, Pac-12, and ACC after Oklahoma and Texas defected to the SEC, USC and UCLA left the Pac-12 for the Big Ten. Kevin Skiver, Detroit Free Press, 8 Jan. 2024 Considering the level of persecution being faced by the party – its top leadership was thrown in jail or forced to defect after the May 9 riots – this development left most of the commentariat stunned. Hasan Ali, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Feb. 2024 With the Pac-12 dissolving, the most coveted officials could defect to the more lucrative power conferences, which pay $400 or $500 more per game than the Mountain West and WCC do — necessitating the identification and development of new talent willing to work for less. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Jan. 2024 On the right, the segregationist South defected from the Democrats at the convention over the party’s civil rights plank, again threatening to deny him the support of an overwhelmingly Democratic voting bloc. Nate Cohn, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024 Édgar Ramírez plays René González, a pilot who defects from Cuba without telling his family and establishes himself in Miami with a group of anti-Castro exiles who perpetrate terrorist attacks on Cuba. Kevin Jacobsen and Terry Terrones Updated, EW.com, 10 Nov. 2023 Four Republicans defected and joined all Democrats present in opposing the measure. Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'defect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Latin dēfectus "failure, absence, lack, weakness," from dēficere "to be lacking, run short, weaken, fail" + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at deficient

Verb

borrowed from Latin dēfectus, past participle of dēficere "to be lacking, fail, become disaffected, go over (to the side of an opponent)" — more at deficient

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of defect was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near defect

Cite this Entry

“Defect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defect. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

defect

1 of 2 noun
: a lack of something necessary for completeness or perfection

defect

2 of 2 verb
de·​fect di-ˈfekt How to pronounce defect (audio)
: to desert a cause or party often in order to take up another
defection
-ˈfek-shən
noun
defector noun

Medical Definition

defect

noun
de·​fect ˈdē-ˌfekt How to pronounce defect (audio) di-ˈ How to pronounce defect (audio)
: a lack or deficiency of something necessary for adequacy in form or function
a hearing defect

Legal Definition

defect

noun
: something or a lack of something that results in incompleteness, inadequacy, or imperfection: as
a
: a flaw in something (as a product) especially that creates an unreasonable risk of harm in its normal use see also latent defect
b
: an error or omission in a court document (as an indictment or pleading)
c
: some imperfection in the chain of title to property that makes the title unmarketable
defective adjective
defectively adverb
defectiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on defect

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