faulty

[ fawl-tee ]

adjective

, fault·i·er, fault·i·est.

1. having faults or defects; imperfect.

faulty

/ ˈfɔːltɪ /

adjective

1. defective or imperfect
2. archaic.
   culpable

Derived Forms

• ˈfaultily, adverb
• ˈfaultiness, noun

Other Words From

• faulti·ly adverb
• faulti·ness noun
• non·faulty adjective
• un·faulty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of faulty¹

First recorded in 1300–50, faulty is from the Middle English word fauty. See fault, -y ¹

Example Sentences

People may be referred for the test by their GP if cancer runs in their family, if a relative has a faulty gene or if they have a Jewish grandparent.

From BBC

"I had to make a very big decision - do we continue with the clock being faulty or do we go for a small gear box controlled by a computer," he said.

From BBC

The ceiling leaked whenever it rained and there had been an electrical fire due to faulty wiring, they stated.

From Los Angeles Times

The show, called Make Good, follows characters based on some of the sub-postmasters who were wrongly convicted using evidence from faulty computer software.

From BBC

Also in May, thousands of residents in Devon were told to drink bottled water after their supply was contaminated with the cryptosporidium parasite - possibly as a result of a faulty valve on private land.

From BBC

Related Words

• broken
• cracked
• damaged
• defective
• deficient
• erroneous
• false
• flawed
• imprecise
• inaccurate
• inadequate
• incomplete
• insufficient
• invalid
• leaky
• malfunctioning
• unreliable