Defect Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

defected; defecting; defects ... party, or nation for another often because of a change in ideology a former KGB agent who defected to America. Login SignUp Hello, Games&Quizzes Thesaurus WordoftheDay Features BuyingGuide M-WBooks JoinMWU MyWordsMyWords ViewRecents Account LogOut defect noun SaveWord de·​fect |\ˈdē-ˌfekt ,di-ˈfekt \ Definitionofdefect (Entry1of2) 1 :animperfectionorabnormalitythatimpairsquality,function,orutility:shortcoming,flaw carefullyinspectatirefordefectsexaminedtheporcelainfordefectsamoraldefectinhisnatureneuraltubedefectsdefectsofmetabolism 2 chemistry :animperfection(suchasavacancyoranunlikeatom)inacrystallattice(seelatticesense2) defect verb de·​fect |\di-ˈfekt \ defected;defecting;defects Definitionofdefect (Entry2of2) intransitiveverb 1 :toforsakeonecause,party,ornationforanotheroftenbecauseofachangeinideology aformerKGBagentwhodefectedtoAmerica 2 :toleaveonesituation(suchasajob)oftentogoovertoarival thereporterdefectedtoanothernetwork OtherWordsfromdefect Synonyms MoreExampleSentences PhrasesContainingdefect LearnMoreAboutdefect OtherWordsfromdefect Verb defector \ di-​ˈfek-​tər \ noun Synonymsfordefect Synonyms:Noun blemish,blight,blotch,deformity,disfigurement,excrescence,excrescency,fault,flaw,imperfection,mar,mark,pockmark,scarSynonyms:Verb desert,rat(on) VisittheThesaurusforMore  ExamplesofdefectinaSentence Noun Theyexaminetheirproductsfordefects. Shewasbornwithaheartdefect. Vanityandpridewerehistwoworstcharacterdefects. Verb TheRussianscholardefectedin1979. Shedefectedfromtheconservativeparty. HedefectedtotheWestbeforethewarbegan. ThereporterdefectedtoanotherTVnetwork. SeeMore RecentExamplesontheWeb:Noun Thedefectcausedatleast10fires,causingGMtowarnownerstoparktheBoltsoutdoors. — TomKrisher,DetroitFreePress,6Apr.2022 WhileinvestigatinganOctoberderailment,theNationalTransportationSafetyBoarduncoveredthedefectinMetro’slatestseriesofcarsthatpushedwheelsapartandmadetrainsmorepronetoderailment. — WashingtonPost,10Mar.2022 Johnson’sdaughterCareywasbornwithaseriousheartdefect. — DanielStrauss,TheNewRepublic,5Jan.2022 Fiidoperformedadditionalstructuraltestingonthebikeandconfirmedthedefect. — MarkKnapp,PCMAG,14Apr.2022 Thedefectcausedatleast10fires,causingGMtowarnownerstoparktheBoltsoutdoors. — TomKrisher,DetroitFreePress,6Apr.2022 Thedefectcausedatleast10fires,causingGMtowarnownerstoparktheBoltsoutdoors. — TomKrisher,chicagotribune.com,5Apr.2022 Thedefectcausedatleast10fires,causingGMtowarnownerstoparktheBoltsoutdoors. — TomKrisher,ajc,5Apr.2022 Thedefectcausedatleast10fires,causingGMtowarnownerstoparktheBoltsoutdoors. — CBSNews,5Apr.2022 RecentExamplesontheWeb:Verb TheMoonadministrationhasbeeninvolvedinanumberofhuman-rightscontroversies,includingtheunprecedenteddecisiontoforciblyrepatriatetwoNorthKoreanswhowantedtodefect. — DaslYoon,WSJ,28Apr.2022 BrianLansingMartinenteredpleasofnotguiltyandornotguiltybyreasonofmentaldiseaseordefecttoallcounts,accordingtoWAFF. — WilliamThornton|[email protected],al,28Apr.2022 Accusingthe69-year-oldformercricketstarofeconomicmismanagementandrightsabuses,theoppositionhasspentweekspersuadingKhan’scoalitionpartnerstodefectandhasseeminglydoneenoughaheadofthevoteonApr.3. — HasanAli/Islamabad,Time,1Apr.2022 Theplaintiffsareamongthosewhosubsequentlymanagedtodefect,fleeingtoJapanorSouthKorea. — WashingtonPost,19Jan.2022 TheGrecale'shandsomebutslightlyfamiliardesignisenoughtoshowthatonerivalisbeingtargetedmorecloselythanothers,however:TheMaserati'scoremissionistopersuadePorscheMacanintenderstodefect. — MikeDuff,CarandDriver,5Apr.2022 InUkraine,however,hopesarehighamongBelarusianrecruitsthatifBelarus’sarmyinvaded,itssoldierswouldseizetheopportunitytodefect,andtheirBelarusianbattalionwasreadytowelcomethem. — WashingtonPost,31Mar.2022 TheTalibanleadershipisalsoawarethatsofteningtheirpolicyonwomencouldpushtheirhard-linememberstodefecttoIslamicState’sregionaloffshoot. — MargheritaStancati,WSJ,23Mar.2022 Chinacounter-offered$2milliontoTaiwanesepilots,buttheonlypilottodefectwasgivenjust$370,000. — KyleMizokami,PopularMechanics,16Mar.2022 SeeMore Theseexamplesentencesareselectedautomaticallyfromvariousonlinenewssourcestoreflectcurrentusageoftheword'defect.'ViewsexpressedintheexamplesdonotrepresenttheopinionofMerriam-Websteroritseditors.Sendusfeedback. PhrasesContainingdefect birthdefect birthdefect FirstKnownUseofdefect Noun 15thcentury,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1Verb 1596,inthemeaningdefinedatsense1 HistoryandEtymologyfordefect Noun MiddleEnglish,borrowedfromLatindēfectus"failure,absence,lack,weakness,"fromdēficere"tobelacking,runshort,weaken,fail"+-tus,suffixofactionnouns—moreatdeficient Verb borrowedfromLatindēfectus,pastparticipleofdēficere"tobelacking,fail,becomedisaffected,goover(tothesideofanopponent)"—moreatdeficient LearnMoreAboutdefect Sharedefect PosttheDefinitionofdefecttoFacebook SharetheDefinitionofdefectonTwitter TimeTravelerfordefect Thefirstknownuseofdefectwas inthe15thcentury Seemorewordsfromthesamecentury FromtheEditorsatMerriam-Webster TheWordsoftheWeek-4/9/2021 TheWordsoftheWeek-4/9/2021 SomeofthewordsthatdefinedtheweekendingApril9,2021 DictionaryEntriesNeardefect defecator defect defectibility SeeMoreNearbyEntries  Statisticsfordefect LastUpdated 8May2022 Look-upPopularity CitethisEntry “Defect.”Merriam-Webster.comDictionary,Merriam-Webster,https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defect.Accessed22May.2022. Style:MLA MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster MoreDefinitionsfordefect defect noun de·​fect |\ˈdē-ˌfekt ,di-ˈfekt\ KidsDefinitionofdefect 1 :somethingthatmakesathingimperfect:flaw Aslightdefectloweredthediamond'svalue. 2 :alackofsomethingneededforperfection Doctorscancorrectthehearingdefect. defect noun de·​fect |\ˈdē-ˌfekt ,di-ˈ \ Medical Definitionofdefect :alackordeficiencyofsomethingnecessaryforadequacyinformorfunction ahearingdefect defect noun de·​fect |\ˈdē-ˌfekt,di-ˈfekt \ Legal Definitionofdefect :somethingoralackofsomethingthatresultsinincompleteness,inadequacy,orimperfection:as a :aflawinsomething(asaproduct)especiallythatcreatesanunreasonableriskofharminitsnormaluse—seealsolatentdefect b :anerrororomissioninacourtdocument(asanindictmentorpleading) c :someimperfectioninthechainoftitletopropertythatmakesthetitleunmarketable OtherWordsfromdefect defective \ di-​ˈfek-​tiv \ adjective defectively adverb defectiveness noun MorefromMerriam-Websterondefect Nglish:TranslationofdefectforSpanishSpeakers BritannicaEnglish:TranslationofdefectforArabicSpeakers Britannica.com:Encyclopediaarticleaboutdefect WORDOFTHEDAY galumph SeeDefinitionsandExamples» GetWordoftheDaydailyemail! TestYourVocabulary NameThatColor Namethatcolor: amaranth cinnabar aqua chartreuse Testyourvocabularywithour10-questionquiz! TAKETHEQUIZ Adailychallengeforcrosswordfanatics. TAKETHEQUIZ SubscribetoAmerica'slargestdictionaryandgetthousandsmoredefinitionsandadvancedsearch—adfree! Merriam-Websterunabridged WordsatPlay You're(Probably)SayingItWrong 18wordsevenyoumightbemispronouncing GreatBigListofBeautiful&UselessWords Alongwiththeirdegreesofusefulness 12FrenchPhrasesfromDowntonAbbey Manyofushavean'idéefixe' WordsForThingsYouDidn'tKnowHaveNames When'thingamajig'and'thingamabob'justwon'tdo AsktheEditors Literally Howtouseawordthat(literally)drivessomepe... 'AllIntensivePurposes'or'AllIntentsandPurposes'? We'reintentonclearingitup Layvs.Lie EditorEmilyBrewsterclarifiesthedifference. WhyDidYankeeDoodleCallaFeather'Macaroni'? What'swithhisfeatheredcap? WordGames TheGreatBritishVocabularyQuiz Makesureyouknowthedifferencebetweenalooa... Takethequiz FaceYourFears Don'tbescaredtoanswerthesequestionsaboutf... Takethequiz YearbookSuperlativesQuiz "MostLikelytoUseObscureWords" Takethequiz Lexigo Findthehiddenwordsbysolvingtheclues Takethequiz